Last week, in the suffering heat of a record-setting July, Republicans worked diligently to advance their 2024 elections chances. 

On one front, they attacked Trump appointed, Republican FBI Director Christopher Wray for being anti-Republican. While across the nation in faraway Iowa, the Republican legislature and Republican governor worked to win in 2024 by passing the most onerous abortion law possible. 

Both efforts avoided anything helpful to their voters, an interesting path to prepare for a national election.

In Washington, the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, grilled Wray on why he was bothering ex-President Trump with FBI actions in Mar-A-Lago that resulted in federal charges, including the Espionage Act, against their party leader and presidential candidate.

They were equally troubled and openly threatening on why there were no investigations of President Joe Biden and more horrific crimes named in the recently charged Hunter Biden, the president’s son. 

The point of it all was to advise Wray and his band of accused Trump haters to stop investigating and prosecuting Republicans altogether and instead find reasons to attack their political enemies, the Democrats. 

Should Wray fail to appreciate the Republican sincerity and conviction, Republicans would consider cutting the FBI’s budget and reducing its surveillance authority in the near future. Republicans will also consider impeaching Wray or, alternatively, holding him in contempt.

Wray, as an experienced defender of administrative doublespeak, avoided the direct answers his Republican attackers deserved. The FBI and the Department of Justice were occupied in the circumstances they were given — namely, that Republicans, elected and appointed, had comprised the bulk of the FBI’s time and attention by committing crimes that brought about charges and convictions.

In the investigation into Russian engagement with the Trump election campaign of 2016, eight Trump associates were charged and convicted of various crimes against the United States.

That was with a Republican president, a Republican attorney general, and Republican prosecutors — hardly the fault of the FBI or the DOJ.

For the Jan. 6 insurrection, led by the Republican president, over one thousand individuals have been charged with various crimes for their attack on the Capitol while Congress was in session certifying the election of 2020. So far, 485 individuals have been convicted of various federal charges, including Steward Rhodes, leader of the Oath Keepers, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy — again, not caused by the FBI or DOJ.

Since Jan 6, seven of Trump’s attorneys have been disciplined or charged with criminal activities. Lin Wood surrendered his law license last week to avoid disbarment for Jan 6. Rudy Giuliani has had his law license suspended in New York and faces disbarment in Washington, D.C. John Eastman faces license revocation in California. Jena Ellis has been censured in Colorado. Sidney Powell has been sanctioned for “profound abuse,” along with C. Mitchell. Jeffery Clark faces license loss from the DC Bar Association.

Additionally, several elected Republicans, including Jordan, had requested or asked about pardons for their actions on Jan 6 from then-President Trump. And, also from their actions on Jan 6, eight Georgia fake electors have accepted immunity from prosecution in the case facing the grand jury now seated.

So, yes, the FBI and DOJ have been busy following the real crimes that have taken place by the Republicans who want it all stopped.

Not to be ignored, conservative Iowa, with its Republican governor and legislature, has voted to pass a six-week abortion law that will go into effect instantly when signed by the governor. 

In an interesting footnote, 61 percent of Iowans want abortion legal in most or all cases. Seventy percent of Iowan women agree. Iowa has polled its citizens on abortion seven times since 2008, with nearly identical results.

Republicans do not care.

Jim Crawford is a retired educator and political enthusiast living here in the Tri-State.