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.
Sooner or later, if they really dig deep enough, this will trace back through that fat greasy corrupt Clintonista bastard governor of New Mexico.
Actually this smells like old-school Clintons.
BINGO!
Thsi looks liek the work of a union goon squad. How would the transfer of control have affected them?
This where the FBI, DoE and others are supposed to protect federal witnesses. If not, the man has every right to arm himself and hunt down the bastards. I sure as Hell would.
This looks like the work of a union goon squad. How would the transfer of control have affected them?
Clinton Legacy marches on ping
This is what Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky could have looked like.
We did good in how we protected these people.
This story may have a familiar ring to it.
Don't miss this one.
Hmmm. Sunday morning for brunch would be a better choice. And take your lawyer with you.
UT = UC as political soulmates. Texas A and M would be much better. Solid, patiotic institution.
Pray for W and Our Troops
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/congress/1997_h/h971001g.htm
Wen Ho Lee was another scandal complete with inept investigation and prosecution. We will probably never know what secrets he gave away and he was never held accountable.
I worked there in the early 90's, and remembered seeing in the newspaper
that some guy was beat up by several unknown assailants who he did not
know. Seemed like an odd crime for a town of only 18k people. I joked that
it must have been from the physicist mafia in response an experiment gone bad...perhaps I wasn't too far off.
The one strip club that shows up on a google search is called 'Cheeks',
on Cerillos road. It was called something else before that I believe. The
entrance is in the back (or so I've heard:)) and not easily visible from
the street...Not a good place to meet unknown anonymous persons.
This reminds me of attorney Gary Johnson. He lived right next door to Gennifer Flowers at the Quapaw Towers. His security camera had caught Clinton entering on several occasions with his own key. That footage, had it been seen by the public, would have stopped Clinton and sent the evil couple back to Arkansas. Some thugs paid him a visit and took the tape. They smashed in his nasal cavity, puntured his bladder, punctured his spleen, and left him for dead. History would certainly have been different.
Now if it was for something at work has he made alligations against one or three persons who would have went after him ? Or was it about a process that he was excluded from for reasons he didn't like ? Gonna have to watch this case.
Just my SWAG from here on the couch .......
He had a open door policy. He even saw to it that all the badges, top security as well as janitor, all looked the same so it would be harder to know who was who. People just walked in and out with ease.
The democrats don't think America should a be a super power. Clinton even sold our missile technology to Communist Red China, who sold it to Korea, who sold it to Iran.
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