MISC> FBI Did Not Like Beetles, Now Seem Not to Like Wind Instrument Music of the WhistleBlowing Varieties

From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: NetHappenings <nethappenings@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 09:11:08 -0600
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Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 02:01:54 -0500 (EST)

FBI Did Not Like Beetles, Now Seem Not to Like Wind Instrument Music of
the WhistleBlowing Varieties


A Whistle Blower regarding FBI practices who was subsequently passed over
for promotion has received support from members of Congress and a Justice
Department report.

Monday, Feb. 24, 2003  Print This | Email This
Report Critical of Treatment of FBI Whistleblower
By Thomas Ferraro
<http://news.findlaw.com/international/s/20030225/congressfbidc.html>

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior FBI official left the "clear appearance of
retaliation" by passing over for promotion a top deputy who complained on
national television about a double standard of discipline at the FBI,
according to a Justice Department report released on Monday.

The report by the department's inspector general said it did not believe
Robert Jordan, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Office of
Professional Responsibility, "intended to threaten or harass" John
Roberts, a unit chief in the office.

But it said Jordan "exhibited poor judgment in several respects,"
including in the way he promoted another agent with with less experience
after the broadcast of CBS' "60 Minutes."

Sens. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and Patrick Leahy, a Vermont
Democrat -- longtime backers of whistleblower protection laws for federal
workers -- released the report with words of praise for Roberts and scorn
for top FBI officials.

-----------------------

Retaliation Alleged in FBI Whistleblowing
By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press Writer
February 25, 2003, 10:01 AM EST
<http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-fbi-retaliation
0225feb25,0,4409545.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines>

Roberts had obtained FBI approval to appear on CBS' "60 Minutes" program
last October. He repeated his previous congressional testimony that
rank-and-file FBI workers received harsher treatment than senior managers
in a double standard of discipline.

The report said there was no evidence that FBI Director Robert Mueller had
a role in Jordan's actions or statements, but found that Deputy Director
Bruce Gebhardt sent an e-mail critical of Roberts.

"If we have internal problems then I would rather find solutions and fix
them, rather than tell the world on `60 Minutes,'" he wrote. "In my
opinion, Roberts brought discredit to the FBI badge, and the 27,000
employees of the FBI."

-----------------------

For Immediate Release
Monday, Nov. 11, 2002
Press Release : Chuck Grassley : United States Senator from Iowa

Grassley Investigates FBI Treatment of Whistleblower Agent
<http://www.senate.gov/~grassley/releases/2002/p02r11-11.htm>

November 8, 2002

The Honorable Robert Mueller
Federal Bureau of Investigation
935 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20535


Dear Director Mueller:

We write to alert you of allegations that senior officials at the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have taken retaliatory actions against Unit
Chief ("UC") John Roberts, of the FBI' s Office of Professional
Responsibility (OPR), and his wife after his FBI-approved appearance on
the CBS news show "60 Minutes," which was broadcast Sunday, October 27.

The salient allegations are that Robert J. Jordan, Assistant Director
("AD") of the Office of Professional Responsibility and Executive
Assistant Director ("EAD") W. Wilson Lowery, Jr., two members of your new
management team, engaged in a course of retaliatory action against UC
Roberts in the ten days since his televised appearance, in which he
discussed continuing problems at the FBI.

As you know, UC Roberts has a record of decades of distinguished and
unblemished service at the FBI, including testimony before the Senate
Judiciary Committee regarding some of the issues that you agreed needed
attention at your confirmation hearings as FBI Director. Among the most
disturbing aspects of the recent allegations, then, is that these senior
FBI officials invoked your name in expressing displeasure at Roberts'
recent criticisms of the Bureau in a public forum.

Among other actions, we have been told that AD Jordan angrily confronted
UC Roberts after the "60 Minutes" show aired and told him during a meeting
that his appearance was a personal insult ("a dis") to both he and to you.
Then, on a day when UC Roberts was out sick, AD Jordan held an all-hands
staff meeting (including UC Roberts' colleagues, subordinates, and his
wife, who is an employee in OPR) at which the transcript of the "60
Minutes" program was read aloud. After reading the transcript, AD Jordan
stated that the FBI was a "family" (and by implication that problems
should be handled in private) and allegedly facilitated negative comments
about UC Roberts by his colleagues, including at least one comment
indicating, in effect, that UC Roberts be transferred from his post or
fired, which AD Jordan said should be considered. We understand that AD
Jordan also said at the meeting that you agree with his assessment of UC
Roberts and his comments. UC Roberts' wife was so upset by the incident
that she required brief medical assistance immediately after the meeting
ended.

In addition, EAD Lowery called UC Roberts to his office, where he and AD
Jordan initiated an aggressive and hostile conversation about his
broadcast remarks. EAD Lowery and AD Jordan angrily challenged UC Roberts
to support his allegations with specific examples  an ironic request since
the FBI had approved Mr. Roberts' public appearance on the condition that
he refrain from discussing many of the specific cases that he knows of as
the longtime head of the FBI's own Office of Professional Responsibility.
They then told UC Roberts that they were asking the Justice Department's
Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to look into the matter and wrote
the OIG a terse letter to that effect.

Although it might be possible in other cases to argue that a referral
letter based on such allegations to the IG is an appropriate course of
action, it seems difficult to make that case in this matter. UC Roberts'
comments were made in the public domain, with prior FBI approval, and
neither UC Roberts nor the OIG needed a formal letter of referral to
follow up on matters within OIG jurisdiction already. Viewed in light of
the simultaneous informal efforts that FBI officials were making to
encourage a negative reaction to UC Roberts' actions, the referral letter
appears to be an effort to sidestep responsibility for FBI missteps and to
send a discouraging message to future employees who consider public
criticism of the FBI.

<snip>

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---------------------------

DAY OF INFAMY 2001
FBI rewarding
incompetence?
Lawyer criticized over 9-11 receives large cash bonus
Posted: January 10, 2003
5:00 p.m. Eastern
By Diana Lynne
2003 WorldNetDaily.com
<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30426>

November 20, 2002
Bipartisan duo hits FBI's discipline policies
By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
<http://www.washtimes.com/national/20021120-95731780.htm>


Sincerely,
David Dillard Research Librarian
david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ECP RingLeader
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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MISC> FBI Did Not Like Beetles, Now Seem Not to Like Wind Instrument Music of the WhistleBlowing Varieties

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