In addition to partisan complaints from Republicans, a number of FBI agents suggested the investigations into the fund-raising controversies were willfully impeded.Krauthammer, Charles, "Reno's Humiliation" (Opinion), Washington Post, October 10, 1997Safire, William, "Those Chinese Agents" (Opinion), New York Times, October 7, 1999Kondracke, Morton, "GOP must launch new probe of Chinagate" (Opinion), Jewish World Review, August 9, 1999 FBI agent Ivian Smith wrote a letter to FBI Director Louis Freeh that expressed "a lack of confidence" in the Justice Department's attorneys regarding the fund-raising investigation. FBI agent Daniel Wehr told Congress that the first head U.S. attorney in the investigation, Laura Ingersoll, told the agents they should "not pursue any matter related to solicitation of funds for access to the president. The reason given was, 'That's the way the American political process works.' I was scandalized by that," Wehr said. The four FBI agents also said that Ingersoll prevented them from executing search warrants to stop destruction of evidence and micromanaged the case beyond all reason."FBI agents criticize Justice Department", Associated Press, September 22, 1999
