Findings of Misconduct by an FBI Official for Accepting Gifts From Members of the Media

Department of Justice OIG ^ | 10-16-18 | Department of Justice OIG

[bigbob]

Truncation: " and for Lack of Candor"

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated this investigation upon the receipt of certain text messages from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) d uring the course of the OIG’s Review of Allegations Regarding Various Actions by the Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Advance of the 2016 Election

The text messages indicated that a senior FBI official accepted two tickets to a professional sports game as a gift from a television news correspondent who regularly covered the FBI and DOJ, in violation of federal regulations.

[bigbob]

OUTCOME: The senior FBI official’s conduct violated federal regulations prohibiting federal employees from accepting gifts from prohibited sources, such as members of the media, where, for example, the source seeks official action by the employee’s agency; the source does business or seeks to do business with the employee’s agency; and the source has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee’s official duties . Criminal prosecution was declined. The senior FBI official retired from the FBI during the OIG’s investigation .

This is small potatoes, one guy and a couple of sports tickets - but the storm is coming.

[Paladin2]

"The senior FBI official retired from the FBI during the OIG’s investigation . "

Any hint of the date of that action?

[edwinland]

Probably small potatoes but on the other hand, who is it?

[bigbob]

No, I’m sure they didn’t include that to protect the identity of the person. Names have never been named in the public press releases from any agency’s OIG that I’ve seen but obviously the full reports that go to the agency head would include them.

[Kahuna]

Wonderful...Our once vaunted FBI is now nothing more than a bunch of slimey cockroaches on the take. There may be a few good ones but where are they? Time for agents to stand up and expose the rot.

[wastoute]

Beuller? Bueller?

[AppyPappy]

I seriously doubt that is all he got

[wastoute]

In all seriousness, though. The one thing I remember vividly from the briefing I got from the JAG lawyers as a new 2nd Lt. In the Army was I had a DUTY to arrest any officer I knew for a fact had committed a crime, even if that officer was my Superior. DUTY. Where is the 2nd Lt. at the top of the FBI or DOJ?

[Drango]

I suspect this is everywhere in Government. Not so much the press, but vendors seeking government contracts giving tickets, meals, vacations to officials.

Hey dude, I got a tee time at Pebble Beach. Want to play with me this Saturday?

[Hot Tabasco]

one guy and a couple of sports tickets

It would be huge if they were super bowl tickets.........

[tennmountainman]

Give us the name. We want the name.
Does this corrupt hack still have a security clearance?
We want to know.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

Was the fired employee among this group?

Jim Comey FBI Director
Andrew McCabe FBI Deputy Director
James Baker FBI General Counsel
James Rybicki FBI chief of staff
Peter Strzok FBI Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division
5
John Carlin DOJ Assistant Attorney General – Head of DOJ’s National Security Division:
Mary McCord DOJ acting assistant attorney general at the National Security Division
Rachel Brand DOJ Associate Attorney General
Josh Campbell FBI Special Assistant to James Comey
Carl Ghattas, FBI executive assistant director of the FBI’s national security branch
10
Bruce Ohr DOJ Deputy Asst Attorney General
David Laufman DOJ chief Counterintelligence and Export Control Section
Mike Kortan, FBI assistant director for public affairs
Preet Bharara DOJ Manhattan federal prosecutor
Sally Yates DOJ acting attorney general
15
Lisa Page FBI lawyer
Peter Kadzik – DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs
Matthew Axelrod –DOJ Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General
Greg Brower (FBI) – Assistant Director for the Office of Congressional Affairs.
James Turgal (FBI) – Executive Assistant Director for Information and Technology Branch
20
Michael B. Steinbach (FBI) – Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch
Scott Smith FBI Assistant Director cyber division
David Resch FBI executive asst director of the Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch
Jeffrey Tricoli FBI senior cyber agent
Howard Marshall FBI Deputy Assistant Director cyber division
25

[Buckeye McFrog]

I once held a low-level management job in retail. I had to sign off on an annual pledge that I would not accept ANY gratuity from a vendor, or I would be immediately terminated.

The assistant manager at your local Dollar General has a higher ethics standard than the FBI, it seems.

[Mouton]

It is worse, HE LIED about it but of course, the DOJ declined prosecution. I guess as long as he did not get them from Trump it was OK to lie.

From the OIG report “The senior FBI official initially maintained to the OIG in an interview under oath that the official had paid for the tickets, but five days later admitted to the OIG that the official did not.”

There were two other instances cited, lied again, no prosecution. So, they let him retire and there is no further remedy available. BTW, paying a gratuity is as actionable as accepting one but no mention of that either.

FWIT there was an investigation in the late 70s involving an oil company and the IRS. The IRS agents were found to be accepting gratuities, mostly nominal dinners and the like. The outcome was 2 oil executives went to jail along with an audit manager. Other personnel actions in the IRS ranged from 60 day suspensions and grade reductions to reprimands. The matter involved failure to uncover a slush fund used to payoff politicians over many years. The lead came from cash found in Nixon’s attorney’s safe and traced back to the oil company. IMO, this was the tip of the iceberg as little if anything happened to any politicians.