Senators Question FBI's Propensity to Investigate Agents
FOX news.com
This department needs an all out clean out.
WASHINGTON - Three senior senators are raising questions about the FBI's decision to conduct a fourth internal investigation of an agent who aired concerns about the bureau's counterterrorism investigations.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller that the FBI (search) seems quick to launch such probes when agents speak out publicly.
"This sort of knee-jerk reaction manifests an insecurity and weakness that is dangerous for such an important agency in the war on terrorism, and is certain to have a chilling effect on other FBI employees who want to fix problems, or even make their supervisors aware of problems," said the letter dated Thursday.
"With the FBI it has been, hear no evil, speak no evil but, above all, tell no evil," the letter said.
The FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility (search ) has already conducted three investigations of FBI Agent Robert Wright, who has claimed during news conferences and television appearances that he was ordered to drop terrorism investigations in the Chicago area by FBI intelligence officials.
Wright contends that he was prevented from pursuing counterterrorism leads, particularly in the area of terrorism financing, that might have prevented the Sept. 11 attacks. Other FBI agents have disputed that assertion.
The senators said in their letter that all three previous investigations found no wrongdoing by Wright. An FBI spokesman declined comment on the letter or the earlier probes, saying they involve internal personnel issues.
The letter asks Mueller to provide Senate staffers with a briefing about the Wright case and ensure that the FBI "proceeds with caution and forethought" in dealing with the matter.
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