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GOP CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE ROBERT TURKAVAGE ISSUES RESPONSE TO RECENT STATEMENT OF NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN STEVE STIVERS

Robert Turkavage, Candidate for New Jersey Congressional District Two (CD-2), today issues the following statement in regard to captioned matter.

I have recently been made aware of the following statement attributed to National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Stivers: “The LoBiondo seat is still a recruiting hole for us, I’ll be honest…I wish we had a better recruit in the LoBiondo seat but we don’t”.

I spent almost thirty-three years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including serving as a Supervisory Special Agent in New York City of two of perhaps the most active/visible criminal squads in the United States. Thereafter, I spent almost seven years as a Vice-President with the second largest financial institution in the United States. While employed at that institution, I worked closely with all its business segments, saving its customers from millions of dollars in fraud-related losses.

Recently, I issued a press release calling for the staffing, in part, of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence with former members of the Intelligence Community. After reviewing the intelligence-related credentials of the twenty-three current members of that committee, I can state with confidence that I have at least as much criminal, counterintelligence, and terrorism experience as do the members currently sitting on that committee.

Giving Chairman Stivers the benefit of doubt regarding his mindset at the time this statement was made, I believe that his concern about a recruiting deficiency in the CD-2 race is misplaced.

FORMER FBI AGENT AND GOP CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE ROBERT TURKAVAGE CALLS FOR FORMER INTELLIGENCE AGENCY STAFFING ON HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE

Today, Robert Turkavage, Republican Candidate for the United States House of Representatives, New Jersey District Two, issues the following statement in regard to captioned matter:
Over the last several months, the FBI has been repeatedly criticized for its handling of the investigations of the Clinton Foundation and Russian meddling into the 2016 Presidential Election. Additional impetus for criticism of the FBI resulted from the firings of FBI Director James Comey, and Deputy Director Andy McCabe, as well as the inclusion of certain information in FISA applications/renewals which originated from the now infamous Steele dossier. While all the facts related to these actions are not known at this time, two conclusions can be drawn with relative certainty. First, statements by the Administration, members of Congress, the media, and the public have had a deleterious effect on the reputation of the FBI. Second, this condition has been exacerbated by the actions of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), whose members offered separate partisan reports on FBI actions related to the Russian meddling investigation.

While the reputational damage that has been done to the FBI will be difficult to repair, certain measures can be undertaken on a going forward basis to limit this type of criticism in the future. One obvious place to start would be to staff the HPSCI, at least in part, with former members of the intelligence community (IC) who have intimate knowledge of the functioning of the institutions whose activities are subject to HPSCI oversight. HPSCI currently has 22 members (13 Republican, 9 Democrat) and has primary oversight responsibility for the US Intelligence Community. Of the 22 members, one member, Will Hurd, was employed by the CIA for less than 10 years. Three other members Adam Schiff, Trey Gowdy, and Tom Rooney, have federal prosecutorial experience. The remaining 18 members have no prior intelligence experience nor federal prosecutorial experience.

Staffing the HPSCI, in part, with former IC members would benefit the Committee in several ways. First, former IC members could assist the HPSCI in identifying spurious allegations not worthy of the Committee’s attention. Second, former IC members could assist in identifying legitimate oversight issues warranting HPSCI’s attention, possibly while the issues are still in a nascent state. Third, the IC members’ investigative experience hopefully would promote logical and thorough investigations by the committee. Finally, the IC members could prevail upon other committee members to issue reports that are complete, factually supported, and devoid of partisan rancor.

Should I prevail in the Primary Election in June, and in the General Election in November, I will attempt to obtain a seat on the HPSCI. I believe that my prior extensive experience with the FBI qualifies me to sit on that Committee.

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TURKAVAGE URGES THE PRESIDENT NOT TO RELEASE BOTH HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE MEMOS REGARDING ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES BY THE FBI

Today, Robert Turkavage, Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives, New Jersey District Two, issues the following statement in regard to captioned matter:

I am adamantly opposed to the release of the House Intelligence Committee memorandum on alleged irregularities by the FBI, that currently is before the President for review. I am also adamantly opposed to the release of a second House Intelligence Committee memorandum which was prepared by other members of that Committee.

The Inspector General of the United States Department of Justice is charged with the responsibility of investigating allegations of misconduct and/or criminal conduct by members of the Department of Justice, including the FBI. We should allow the Inspector General to do his job without political interference from either political party.

GOP Candidate Robert Turkavage Urges Swift Action on DACA

GOP CANDIDATE ROBERT TURKAVAGE URGES SWIFT ACTION ON DACA

Yesterday, in announcing my candidacy for the US House of Representatives, I stated that my most important reason for seeking elective office pertained to our children and the future of our country. I also stated that were I to be elected, I would seek consensus with the opposition in discharging our legislative responsibilities. These statements were not empty promises.

Congress is currently considering action on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. Republicans generally would prefer to see any DACA resolution tied to an agreement on other immigration issues. Democrats have suggested that they could force a government shutdown unless an agreement protecting those “Dreamers” is reached. Both sides are wrong.

It is my position that the children who were brought to this country by undocumented immigrants are innocent of any wrongdoing. It is also my position that the welfare of innocent children in the United States, be they American born or foreign born, should not be used as a negotiating tool by either side to advance their agendas.

I urge Congress to pass, and the President to sign, a DACA bill favorable to the affected children without delay. Other immigration issues can be debated and resolved at another time.
CONTACT ROBERT TURKAVAGE 609 800-5685