Richard Bowen

  • Home
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Videos
  • Media/Press
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • +1-214-604-5492

February 22, 2018 By Richard Bowen

The Intelligence Community Inspector General’s Office Has Run Amok!

Source: Falphaxii – Own work, Public Domain

The Intelligence Community Inspector General’s Office (IC IG), the office which serves as the Intelligence Community central watchdog over the intelligence agencies (including CIA and NSA), has had serious issues for some time. Just this last fall, I commented that it appears the office was not able to do its job because of the varied conflicts of interest and plain poor management.

Well, it appears the issues are deeper than just your typical government boondoggle, things have gotten much worse.

As background, President Barack Obama signed a presidential directive which prohibits intelligence agencies from punishing employees who report abuses through approved government channels, and each individual agency IG is required to investigate any employee claims of retaliation.

The IC IG was created in 2010, and its job is to investigate waste, fraud, abuse and illegalities within the 16 agencies it monitors; and communicate with, reach out to and give an additional layer of protection to whistleblowers within the intelligence agencies. Proponents of the office argue that a strong whistleblowing outlet is needed as an alternative to leaking and to protect employees from retaliation for reporting misconduct.

Last October, Foreign Policy had commented, “The intelligence community’s central watchdog is in danger of crumbling,” noting there is political backbiting, job insecurity, mismanagement, bureaucratic battles, personality conflicts and the list goes on.  A Congressional staff person had told Foreign Policy, ”What’s the point of doing whistleblower reform if the office in charge of it is on fire?”

And that outreach on the part of employees has just been damned! The Daily Beast recently reported on a leaked draft investigative report on compliance with the presidential directive against employee retaliation that exposed the systemic failures in the flawed intelligence community whistleblower program. According to this article, late last year the Trump Administration put a lid on the finalization of an investigation of the whistleblower program failures by the Inspector General for all intelligence agencies. 

The leaked draft report clearly shows that the intelligence community has utterly failed to protect whistleblowers who work for the intelligence agencies—including the CIA and the NSA—and report waste, fraud, abuse, or criminality to the Inspector General, or to Congress as permitted by law.

The three year plus investigation of the many whistleblower program failures by the Inspector General for all of our intelligence agencies was nearing finalization. It appears that our present administration has attempted to bury the detailed investigation which would have pointed out that intelligence community whistleblowers have no legal protection if they go through lawful steps to report abuse, fraud or other incidents within their agencies and, further, they are retaliated against for doing so.

It gets worse. According to the Daily Beast, investigators looked into 190 cases of alleged reprisal that were reported to IG’s in six intelligence agencies from 2010 to 2016. Of these only 61 were even investigated by the agency IG’s, and 57 of those were ruled insubstantial!

They found that in only one case out of the 190 did the agency IG find in favor of the whistleblower. By the way, that conclusion came about after 742 days. That’s right. Only one whistleblower prevailed out of 190 cases of retaliation filed in six years.  That’s a success rate of about 0.05%. 

Some cases remained open longer with one complaint from 2010 still waiting for a ruling. But the framework was remarkably consistent: Over and over and over again, intelligence agency inspector generals ruled that the agency was in the right, and the whistleblowers were almost always wrong.

Following a six-month-long inspection run out of the Intelligence Community Inspector General office, Wayne Stone, the new acting head of the office, stopped the investigation last April. The excuse given was that one of the six inspectors doing the investigation was himself a whistleblower and in the middle of a federal lawsuit against the CIA. You just can’t make this stuff up!!

It’s a long and sad story, however it appears one of the six intelligence office investigators, Pars (his name is a CIA-assigned pseudonym), a 16-year CIA operative with years of experience working under fire, made a series of legally “protected disclosures” about the alleged misconduct to the Chief of Station and other superiors, but no remedial action was taken.

Pars didn’t tell his superiors that he had filed a federal lawsuit charging a high-ranking CIA spymaster and others at the Agency’s elite Directorate of Operations with illegal retaliation against him.  Pars had been relieved of his assignments and could not find work in the intelligence community. And Pars filed his lawsuit 630 days after formally lodging a reprisal complaint without any ruling by the CIA IG. The lawsuit was first reported last year by the Project on Government Oversight.

Rumors of Pars’ lawsuit reached the IG IC’s office and under questioning, Pars acknowledged he was the pseudonymous plaintiff in the case. Mr. Stone immediately removed Pars from the inspection team.

It is possible Mr. Stone used this case as an excuse that the investigation was thus compromised, even though others on the investigative committee deny that was in any way possible. Some former IC IG officials believe that Stone used the Pars affair as a pretext to kill an inspection that was producing inconvenient results. Rob Johnson, the former deputy IC IG, says there’s virtually nothing a single inspector could do to contaminate a report that relies heavily on verifiable numbers. “Everything has to be backed up with data… There’s not a lot of opinion on those reports.” 

Whistleblowers in the Intelligence Community who use proper channels to disclose alleged wrongdoing deserve protection and due process,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) told POGO, referring to the Pars case. “We can’t expect better government if we silence those who are seeking to fix it. Long delays at the CIA OIG underscore serious weaknesses in the system, and raise concerns over accountability at the CIA.”

The Daily Beast article comments that Mr. Stone not only sequestered the mountain of documents and data produced in the inspection, the product of three staff-years of work, this incident was never publicly disclosed by the office and escaped mention in the unclassified version of the IC IG’s semiannual report to Congress.

Last fall I commented that an actual NSA whistleblower said the IC  IG “is the only place where you can get a fair review … having an independent inspector general was instrumental … now, however, it’s gutted.”  Well, now it’s worse than gutted.

The National Whistleblower Center predicted this program would fail, “because putting the agencies in charge of deciding whistleblower claims, without allowing employees to file in court and seek a jury trial, inevitably results in the agency denying any wrongdoing or reprisal. It’s even worse when the intelligence agency that fired the whistleblower has final say in the case.” Talk about conflict of interest. This is mind-boggling. 

The Center also says this present administration may just have created an even bigger scandal by trying to suppress the obvious failures of the intelligence community whistleblower program. The Center believes that if President Trump “really wants to hold the so-called deep state accountable he should support real whistleblower reform.” Yes, the intelligence community  has consistently opposed legislation which would give whistleblowers due process for all federal and intelligence  community whistleblowers, however the National Whistleblower Center  reminds us that giving whistleblowers due process  reform was passed in the House in 2009, with strong bipartisan support, including a majority of Republicans voting in favor of it.

While a strong whistleblowing outlet is certainly preferable to leaking and to continue to protect employees against retaliation, it seems that many intelligence officers within the many agencies see “any outreach to their employees as an attempt to cultivate leakers or as outside interference, rather than a  secure, proper way to report potential violations of law.”

So the intelligence community whistleblower program, weak and ineffectual as it was, is in shambles. Federal employees have no real protection. Without legal support against retaliation, leaks will happen, and they will hurt the agencies involved and our government.

I’m with the National Whistleblower Center who says, “It’s time for Congress and President  Trump to support the real reform that would provide full due process rights, with access to courts and juries, for all federal whistleblowers.”

Related Posts

If You Can’t Trust the Intelligence Community, Who Can You Trust?
A Tale of Two Whistleblowers according to Malcolm Gladwell
It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again! Is the Financial Crisis Restarting?!

Ethics Rule: Achieving the Gold Standard
Should We Ban Stock Buybacks - Or, Are They a Good Economic Stimulus?
Ethics on your mind? Subscribe to my ezine to get my latest article delivered right to your inbox. Click Here to Subscribe

Richard Bowen is widely known as the Citigroup whistleblower. As Business Chief Underwriter for Citigroup during the housing bubble financial crisis meltdown, he repeatedly warned Citi executive management and the board about fraudulent behavior within the organization. The company certified poor mortgages as quality mortgages and sold them to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other investors.

Related Posts

  • The White House Flouts Ethics RulesThe White House Flouts Ethics Rules
  • The DOJ Lemon Award – Go Directly to Jail!The DOJ Lemon Award – Go Directly to Jail!
  • Is Wall Street a National Threat?Is Wall Street a National Threat?
  • Best Wishes this Holiday SeasonBest Wishes this Holiday Season

What People Are Saying About Richard M. Bowen

William D. Cohan"Richard Bowen is one of my heroes. His is a story of human fortitude at its best and Wall Street at its worst."

~ William D. Cohan, NY Times Best Selling Author
2017-06-30T10:08:59-05:00
"Richard Bowen is one of my heroes. His is a story of human fortitude at its best and Wall Street at its worst." ~ William D. Cohan, NY Times Best Selling Author
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/2556/

Eileen McDonnell"Richard Bowen reinforced my motto that "there is no right way to do a wrong thing.” Long after his presentation, the conversation has continued about personal responsibility and the courage to challenge things that appear to be wrong. We encourage this dialog and rely on it to help make our business stronger."

~ Eileen McDonnell, Chairman, CEO, & President, Penn Mutual
2015-02-13T19:51:19-06:00
"Richard Bowen reinforced my motto that "there is no right way to do a wrong thing.” Long after his presentation, the conversation has continued about personal responsibility and the courage to challenge things that appear to be wrong. We encourage this dialog and rely on it to help make our business stronger." ~ Eileen McDonnell, Chairman, CEO, & President, Penn Mutual
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/711/

Ben Stein"Richard Bowen, you are a star and a hero."

~ Ben Stein, Economist and Political Commentator
2015-02-13T19:50:26-06:00
"Richard Bowen, you are a star and a hero." ~ Ben Stein, Economist and Political Commentator
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/712/

Jim Farrell"Richard's speech at the April Financial Executives International dinner was informative, interesting, riveting, and fast moving.  The feedback from members was overwhelming positive, and Richard received one of the few standing ovations given by our membership."

~ Jim Farrell, Program Chairman, Dallas Chapter, Financial Executives International
2014-12-28T19:48:17-06:00
"Richard's speech at the April Financial Executives International dinner was informative, interesting, riveting, and fast moving.  The feedback from members was overwhelming positive, and Richard received one of the few standing ovations given by our membership." ~ Jim Farrell, Program Chairman, Dallas Chapter, Financial Executives International
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/532/

Dennis McCuistion"Richard Bowen has been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it, and his message of corruption at the highest levels of industry and government needs to be heard. I only wish that more bankers had the courage that Bowen exhibits. He is not only one of the most talented bankers I have ever met, he has more integrity than all the bankers on Wall Street put together. If his former employer had listened to him taxpayers would not have had to bail out Citi for the third time in the last 30 years."

~ Dennis McCuistion, Host of the McCuistion TV program
2014-12-28T19:48:06-06:00
"Richard Bowen has been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it, and his message of corruption at the highest levels of industry and government needs to be heard. I only wish that more bankers had the courage that Bowen exhibits. He is not only one of the most talented bankers I have ever met, he has more integrity than all the bankers on Wall Street put together. If his former employer had listened to him taxpayers would not have had to bail out Citi for the third time in the last 30 years." ~ Dennis McCuistion, Host of the McCuistion TV program
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/533/

Betty Garrett"Richard Bowen is a dynamic, entertaining speaker and story-teller - a CPA with a great personality!"

~ Betty Garrett, Garrett Speakers International
2014-12-28T19:47:50-06:00
"Richard Bowen is a dynamic, entertaining speaker and story-teller - a CPA with a great personality!" ~ Betty Garrett, Garrett Speakers International
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/531/

fred-timmons"I believe Richard Bowen is the only keynote speaker to ever receive a standing ovation from the Texas Society of CPA’s at any of its annual conferences."

~ Fred Timmons, Chairman of The Texas Society of CPA's
2014-12-28T19:47:22-06:00
"I believe Richard Bowen is the only keynote speaker to ever receive a standing ovation from the Texas Society of CPA’s at any of its annual conferences." ~ Fred Timmons, Chairman of The Texas Society of CPA's
https://richardmbowen.com/testimonials/530/

Presentation Topics

Playing for High Stakes: The Principles and Practice of Ethical Leadership

Dark Citi: The Story of a Whistleblower

Want to Hire Richard?

Watch Richard

See What Clients are Saying

About Richard

Recent Posts

  • Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful and safe holiday
  • Thanksgiving 2020
  • Pausing For A While
  • The world is in crisis
  • Relationships Count

Categories

  • Business Ethics
  • Congress
  • Corporate Debt
  • Corruption
  • Ethical Leadership
  • Financial Crime
  • Financial Crisis
  • Financial Crisis of 2008
  • Holiday
  • International
  • Mortgage Lending
  • Mortgage Meltdown
  • Relationships
  • Texas Politics
  • The Fed
  • Too Big To Fail
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Wall Street
  • Whistle Blowers

About Richard

Now an ethical leadership speaker, Richard Bowen was Citigroup's Business Chief Underwriter during the housing bubble.

Read more

Connect with Richard

  Facebook   Twitter   Linked   Google Plus   YouTube

Contact Us

Phone: +1-214-604-5492

Email: Richard@RichardMBowen.com

Contact Richard
Google+

Copyright 2019© 2021 · Richard M. Bowen | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT
X
Sign up to receive my blog posts via email!
Subscribe >>