other side of an interrogation# today by members of Congress.
Christopher Wray faced some sharp criticism# during today's House Jud Congressional correspondent Lisa# Desjardins was there and joins us now.
So, Lisa, Republicans on the committee grilled# the FBI director about the al of law enforcement agencies against former# President Donald Trump.
Tell us more about that.
LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.
They were talking about not very dense hearing.
As you will hear, there were# Threads of many different issues that overlapped.
When it came to that Republican# accusation of weaponization by the FBI,## they made a few specific allegations.# They brought up memos by the FBI that## were protecting school boards, rather than# parents, sort of implying that parents were## the threat.
The Department of Justice# has denied that that was their intent.
Also, a memo from the Richmond FBI that targeted# what they called radical traditional Catholics.## Director Wray said that that was a single# office and not at all what the FBI intended.
But one of those heated exchanges# came around the case of a man named## Mark Houck.
He's a Pennsylvania man# who was arrested and charged after## he protested or was standing outside of an# abortion clinic.
And when he was arrested,## his lawyer said he was willing to# voluntarily come in, but instead## the FBI sent over a dozen agents and held him# at gunpoint in the morning before his And Director Wray was asked, was that appropriate?
CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI Director:# I'm not going to second-gues judgment of the career agents on the# ground who made the determination.
(CROSSTALK) they're doing.
Your job is to review# what they do.
Your job is to protect## the American people from a tyrannical FBI# storming the home of an American CHRISTOPHER WRAY: I could not disagree more with## your description of the FBI# as tyrannical.
And (CROSSTALK) were a part of storming a father's# home in suburban (CROSSTALK) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman?
The witness may respond, and then# we will move t (CROSSTALK) knocked on his door and identified themselves.# They asked him to exit.
He did without incident.
LISA DESJARDINS:## Now, that was a clas Democrats did do some defense work for him,## charging Republicans with being# political in their att GEOFF BENNETT: What about the more bipartisan## concerns about the ways in# which the FBI is using data?
LISA DESJARDINS: This was a fascinating# part of the hearing and, obviously,## of increasing importance now.
Democrats raised their concern th been collecting data on Americans.
They# asked exactly what the FBI has done with## that data.
Republicans too chimed in.# They raised a recent court filing that,## in fact, found that the FBI was# inappropriate, in fact, broke the## rules and how it was using warrantless# wiretaps in some cases after January 6.
In both of these instances, the FBI director said# he wasn't either going to get into specifics for## legal reasons, ongoing cases, or he said it was# just too complicated to get into.
But he -- the## Republicans also raised this case of sort of a# wide-ranging voluntary data ask, that Bank of## America -- Republicans showed this e-mail that the# FBI used to try and get a wide range of data from## everyone who had a transaction with a Bank of# America card between January 5 and 6 of 2021 or## anyone who had purchased a weapon, potentially in# the entire country, in the six months previously.
Republicans say that's an example of just a# very wide FBI search of what information they## think should be private.
The director himself just# kept reiterating the FBI does not break the law.
GEOFF BENNETT: And hovering over all# of this, Lisa, are some threats by## Republicans, some Republicans on the# committee, to defund the FBI entirely.
Did that come up today?
LISA DES And, indeed, some members who have said otherwise,# that they would like to defund the FBI, did not## say that today to the FBI director's face.
The# closest they came was Chairman Jim Jordan, who, in## his opening remarks, raised the idea that the FBI# should not get payment for its new headquarters.
Director Wray said, any defunding# of the FBI would be catastrophic on## a range of issues and threats# facing the country right now.
GEOFF BENNETT: What else stood out to# you about this LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, there# were some surprising points.
One was that, for the first half, I didn't r the one with -- involving Hunter Biden# or the one involving former President## Donald Trump.
It was more about other# specifics, broader American concerns.
One other surprising moment, Geoff, the# FBI director was asked about the greatest## threats that he sees, and, in particular, he# was asked about China.
Here's what he said CHRISTOPHER WRAY: There is no country,# none, that presents a broader,## more comprehensive threat to our ideas,# our innovation, our economic security## than the Chinese government and# the Chinese Communist Party.
And,## in many ways, in many ways it represents,# I think, the defining LISA DESJARDINS: That was a# standout quote and, in fact,## changed how we were reporting# this segment with you.
It just shows how much the FBI is working# on, even as the director itself is facing# very sharp political questions.
GEOFF BENNETT: Congressional# correspondent Lisa Desjardins.
Lisa, thanks, as always.
LISA DESJARDINS: You're