Rep. Darrell Issa is accusing officials at the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of “closing ranks” in an effort
to intimidate potential whistleblowers within the agency.
In an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren” Thursday
evening, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee took issue with a recent ATF training video, in which he said
agency director Todd Jones threatened “there will be consequences” if
agents went outside “the chain of command” with complaints.
Without whistleblowers, Issa insisted, the problems with the
controversial Fast and Furious gun-running operation within the agency
would never have been brought to light.
“This is a thinly veiled threat, telling people: ‘Don't go to the
press, don't go to Congress, even if the chain of command isn’t
working,’ which is really what happened in Fast and Furious,” Issa
said.“It wasn’t that ATF people weren’t screaming bloody murder. It’s
they weren't being listened to by Justice or by some of their leaders.”
Agency officials have denied the video was intended to threaten ATF
employees or that it was meant to keep secrets within the agency. But
the California Republican and Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley have written
to Jones asking him to clarify his comments in the video.
“Your ominous message, which could be interpreted as a threat, is
likely to have a major chilling effect on ATF employees exercising their
rights to contact Congress. Therefore it needs to be clarified,” the
two lawmakers wrote. “You must remind ATF employees about their right to
talk to Congress and provide Congress with information free and clear
of agency interference or retaliation.”
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