The Shutdown Is Impeding Federal Investigations

This is fine (this is not fine): The longer the shutdown drags on, the more it is impeding federal investigations, which, according to federal officers, makes the shutdown itself "a serious national-security threat."

Natasha Bertrand at the Atlantic reports:

FBI agents have lost irreplaceable sources. Joint Terrorism Task Force officers can't get into the bureau's computer systems. Federal investigations are being stymied by a lack of resources. The partial government shutdown, now in its 33rd day, has become a serious national-security threat, the FBI Agents Association said on Tuesday.

Over the past several weeks, the association has been compiling stories from agents about the the shutdown's impact on the bureau's operations. One agent, speaking anonymously, said his unit had "lost several sources who have worked for months, and years, to penetrate groups and target subjects" due to the inability to pay confidential sources.

"These assets cannot be replaced," the agent said. "Serving my country has always been a privilege, but it has never been so hard or thankless."

Another agent reported: "Not being able to pay Confidential Human Sources risks losing them and the information they provide FOREVER. It is not a switch that we can turn on and off."

Others complained that their investigations were being slow-rolled, with dozens of grand-jury subpoenas going undelivered. "The operational impacts of this shutdown are immeasurable," said one agent in the Northeast region.

Naturally, many people will automatically wonder how the Special Counsel's office is being impacted, and that is certainly a concern. The corrupt president shutting down the government while he is under investigation is effectively (if not explicitly) yet another attempt to obstruct justice.

But there are other cases of grave urgency being affected, too — including, naturally, drug trafficking and human trafficking and terrorism cases that are ostensibly so important to Donald Trump that he had to shutdown the government over getting funding for a wall to prevent drugs and human traffickers and terrorists from entering the country.

(Never mind that the vast majority of trafficking does not happen across the southern border, nor is it a key point of entry for terrorists.)

Trump is famously hostile to the rule of law, and he doesn't care if the entire justice system grinds to a fucking halt during this shutdown. Nor does the rest of his party, who could put a stop to this mess, but refuse.