The rot in the federal government runs throughout every agency. But one of the most powerful ones is scummier than you think.
And now the FBI is crumbling after being caught attacking these high profile whistleblowers.
No one is surprised that there is rampant corruption throughout all of the United States government.
If anything, Americans have come to expect the worst of their elected officials.
While different agencies and bureaus that aren’t in the news as much fair better, even they are starting the feel the brunt. And it’s mostly due to their own actions.
The Justice Department inspector general’s office disclosed on Tuesday that the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies stripped whistleblower agents of their security credentials and salary without giving them a fair time to challenge the decision.
Employees whose security clearances have been suspended, canceled, or refused may become penniless and unable to return to work or find alternative employment as a result of the suspension policy.
“This lack of appeal process is especially problematic at DOJ components that indefinitely suspend employees without pay for the duration of the security investigation and review process, which can sometimes last years,” Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz wrote in a memo to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
“In many cases, it is financially unrealistic for an employee suspended without pay who claims retaliation ‘to retain their government employment status while [the security clearance review] is pending,’ given the length of time a security clearance inquiry often takes,” Mr. Horowitz said.
“As a practical matter, therefore, the ability of an employee who has been indefinitely suspended without pay to retain their employment status can be rendered meaningless when that suspension lasts for a substantial period of time.”
Mr. Horowitz discovered comparable vulnerabilities in the security clearance policies of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Over the last two years, Congress has received a stream of confidential revelations regarding retribution, prompting investigation of the FBI’s treatment of whistleblowers.
In a series of exclusive exposés, The Washington Times highlighted many incidents of FBI whistleblowers who claimed agency officials retaliated against them or penalized them for their political views by stripping security clearances and suspending them without pay.
The FBI declined to comment to The Times on the inspector general’s report.
Several FBI whistleblowers, including Marcus Allen, testified before House legislators last year about being punished by losing their security credentials and salaries.
“It’s good that the inspector general called out DOJ’s systemic disregard for the law in this memo based on the case of Marcus Allen and other whistleblowers,” said Jason Foster, chairman of Empower Oversight, who is representing Mr. Allen.
“But we are still waiting for his specific findings about the FBI’s retaliation against Marcus that we first referred to the IG more than a year ago.”
Mr. Horowitz criticized the Justice Department for failing to provide an inspector general appeals procedure for employees whose security clearances have been suspended for more than a year and who claim an agency is retaliating against them.
The inspector general’s office states that federal law mandates a security clearance review process that allows persons with retaliation claims to continue working for the government while the review is ongoing.
According to the inspector general’s study, the Justice Department policy does not limit or provide direction on how long an employee can be suspended indefinitely without pay while the component’s security evaluation is underway.
According to Mr. Horowitz, the Justice Department does not contemplate “any practicable alternatives to indefinite suspension without pay during a security investigation for employees.”
This is probably why only 46% of Americans polled believe the FBI does a “good” or “excellent” job according to Gallup polling.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
