It seems that troublesome FBI agents have a way of quitting quietly before any charges can be filed. Iowa Senator Charles Grassley wants Christopher Wray to explain why an internal audit revealed that 665 bureau personnel “have resigned or retired to avoid accountability in misconduct probes over the past two decades.”
FBI discipline database
Senator Grassley was tipped off by his whistleblowers that back in 2020, the Just Us Department “launched a review” of the FBI “disciplinary database” after an Associated Press investigation into “sexual misconduct allegations” involving “at least six” bureau officials. “Senior” ones.
Perhaps that’s why Chris Wray was so anxious to get to his lake house. The follow up report was scathing.
The deep dive investigation conducted in-house revealed that rule breakers were allowed to slip quietly out the back door in disgrace.
665 FBI employees left agency after misconduct investigations: whistleblower disclosure https://t.co/s5pEjoIS9r pic.twitter.com/QbjdvWuFLy
— The Hill (@thehill) October 8, 2022
The report “found 665 FBI employees, including 45 senior-level officials, resigned or retired between 2004 to 2020 following a misconduct probe but before a final disciplinary letter could be issued.” Senator Grassley wrote another letter to Chief instigator Christopher Wray and Gestapo General Merrick Garland.
The copy of Grassley’s letter leaked to AP News didn’t make clear “how many of those cases involved sexual misconduct.” It also doesn’t say what other shenanigans the wayward agents were up to.
Grassley had to keep identifying information out of his letter to protect his FBI whistleblower from retaliation. Even so, the senator has reason to believe “hundreds” of the cases involved sexual misconduct.
Clarity from the DOJ
“It’s been alleged to my office that the data involved an element of sexual misconduct, which comports with the purpose of the … review that was done because of the Associated Press article.” That would be the one identifying six “senior” FBI officials.
That might explain the constant smirk Wray walks around with. Grassley’s Judiciary Committee “welcomes any clarity the Justice Department is able to provide.” Those familiar with the inner workings of that department suggest that the senator not hold his breath.
The press asked the bureau for their side of it. A spokesunit notes the Federal Bureau of Instigation is totally legal always but nobody is saying a word to the press until after they come up with official answers to the oversight committee.
Until then, the FBI is taking the Fifth and “declining” to comment on “the whistleblower’s allegation or to provide its own tally of disciplinary cases and how many of them involved sexual misconduct.”
The instigators will take a look at themselves in the mirror and if they find they did anything wrong, they will slap themselves on the wrist for it, they promise.
“The FBI looks critically at ourselves and will continue to make improvements. The bottom line is, employees who commit gross misconduct and sexual harassment have no place in the FBI.” They deserve promotion to the Justice Department.