Posted on 06/06/2005 6:52:41 PM PDT by CHARLITE
A Los Alamos whistleblower scheduled to testify before congress later this month is now in the hospital, according to news reports. Auditor Tommy Hook was brutally beaten by three or four anonymous assailants who allegedly ordered him to keep quiet.
On Saturday night, Hook went to a Santa Fe bar ostensibly to meet a person claiming to be a fellow Los Alamos whistleblower that called that night. When the person did not show, Hook left the bar after consuming two drinks.
In the parking lot, he was yanked out of his car and beaten so badly by the three or four men that he had to be taken to intensive care at a local emergency room.
Reportedly, Hook did not provoke these men. The men concentrated on kicking his head, and Hook's family has opined that the men would have killed him if it hadn't been for a club employee, who ran from the club and broke up the beating.
Congressional staff members were set to arrive Tuesday in Los Alamos to investigate Hook's allegations of malfeasance at the lab.
Tommy Hook remains hospitalized with severe trauma to his face and head, including a fractured jaw and a herniated disk. The FBI has been called-in to investigate the attack, and Hook is currently under close protective custody.
Congress Warned of Ill Treatment of Hook
Last March, Danielle Brian, Executive Director Project On Government Oversight (POGO) testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations regarding a review of security initiatives at DOE Nuclear Weapons Facilities.
He especially focused on Hook and another whisterblower:
"I would be remiss if I did not report to the Committee that, while not a part of former Secretary Abraham's initiatives, the treatment of whistleblowers throughout the complex remains abysmal. Retaliation remains the norm, not the exception, as can be seen in the case of Tommy Hook and Chuck Montano, who have both worked at Los Alamos for decades.
"After the Committee's three hearings on financial fraud at Los Alamos, the University of California was telling the public that all was resolved, while at the same time retaliating against these two men who knew otherwise. Hook and Montano were responsible for providing audit support for UC and uncovered ongoing irregularities and outright misconduct amounting to millions of taxpayer dollars.
"Their audit reports were withheld from DOE. Their treatment? Their work was taken away from them, they were given no work for nine months, and now they are only being handed menial assignments. Even the head of the Los Alamos Site Office tried to intervene on Tommy Hook's behalf, only to be rebuffed by an arrogant University of California."
According to a report in Exec.com, Susan Hook, the victim's wife, Bob Rothstein, his attorney, and Montano confirmed that Hook was at the club to meet with another employee who claimed to have information that would support charges of wrongdoing.
Susan Hook and Montano further alleged that the assault was absolutely connected to Tommy Hook's impending testimony:
"When they were beating him up, they were telling him ... 'If you know what is good for you, you will keep your mouth shut,'" said Susan Hook.
Rothstein recalled that a person claiming to be an auditor from Los Alamos had contacted Hook a week before and had offered to share information about financial issues at the laboratory. Rothstein said that one meeting had already fallen through, but the second was arranged on Saturday night at the strip club.
The nightclub's doorman ran into the parking lot and broke up the attack, according to a club employee who witnessed the beating. The employee said Hook was assaulted by a group of men.
Joint Investigation
Called to the scene, FBI Special Agent Bill Elwell confirmed that federal agents are investigating with Santa Fe police officers. He said they are "still trying to figure out" what happened at the nightclub. "We are looking into the allegations made by Mr. Hook," Elwell said.
Los Alamos issued a statement:
"The University of California and the laboratory are outraged that a laboratory employee was the victim of a weekend assault in Santa Fe. Director [Robert] Kuckuck was made aware of the attack this morning and expressed his hope that the individual will make a quick recovery"
"Director Kuckuck, the University of California and the laboratory believe that any form of physical violence toward an individual is unacceptable. The laboratory is in contact with the Santa Fe Police Department and is providing the laboratory's full support and cooperation with the ongoing investigation."
Susan Hooks said that her husband's wallet and car were not taken.
They're starting a whistleblower support group. I can't think of a better place for a meeting.
You mean this one?...
dB B. S. METER
They didn't let him live... They were stopped by a club employee from finishing 'the job'
Oh come on! You think his testifying before Congress later this month is only a coincidence!!!?? Wake up!
"...an ass whippin like this would not be the method of choice by anyone who thought it was vital to our National Security Interest."
The point is that this may have been done by corrupt people who want to cover up crimes against our National Security Interests!
I think you've missed the point of who the evildoers are. Reread the article.
yES!!!!!Fire all of them. If Bush has guts, he would do a Reagan number ( with the traffic controllers )and clean out that corrupt bag of dangerous snakes.
Right.
Ever since the Oppenheimer days there has been a hard core of Lefties in the place. It may seem odd, since we traditionally associate Lefties with being anti nuke. But there are some Lefties who probably believe that if at least a few Lefties don't engage in nuke development, then they will be giving the Right too much de facto power. Also, consider all the opportunities to undermine and cause chaos within.
BUMPAROO!!!!
RE: The fact that Hook is mentioned with Chuck Montano makes him a nut.
Also a few nuts here:
http://lanl-the-real-story.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_lanl-the-real-story_archive.html
There is definitely a hard core of seemingly Left leaning (in the Oppenheimer archetype) malcontents at LANL. My main question at this point, is, is Hook one of them?
Wake this...
Santa Fe is a lefty hangout - SF County went 73% for
Kerry-Edwards and most of them still have their bumper
stickers on.
UC Berkeley...the religion of Peace?
This is the Filth that run these liberal Brainwashing stations.
Advocates of free Speach.
Union thugs is my guess. Fixed (rigged) bidding on contracts involved. That smells like union.
Lets call a Spade a Spade....Mafia.
I'm probably just to cynical and skeptical, but I'd kinda like to know this guy's history of drinking and carousing before I buy his story.
You dont work for Los Alamos do you?
Actually this smells like old-school Clintons.
WOW! I was just thinking that when I read your post....
This is not going too far to suspect Bill Clinton and the Arkansas Mob. and throw in Sandy Berger for good measure.
I wonder who will die next, under suspicious circumstances?
This Has Clinton written all over it.
ping
only to be rebuffed by an arrogant University of California
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