Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirmed Tuesday officials at the federal law enforcement agency have inappropriately retaliated against whistleblowers by pulling security clearances and implementing other retribution against them.
“The purpose of this memorandum is to advise you of concerns that the Department of Justice (Department or DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has identified regarding the Department’s compliance with 50 U.S.C. § 3341 and the Director of National Intelligence’s (DNI) Security Executive Agent Directive 9 (SEAD 9), which provide protections for federal employees who allege their security clearance has been suspended, revoked, or denied in retaliation for making a protected disclosure,” a new OIG memo states. “This concern came to our attention in connection with the OIG’s assessment of complaints the OIG received from employees of a DOJ component, alleging that their security clearances were suspended in retaliation for protected whistleblowing activity.”
The investigation covered the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.