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.
"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."
Obviously, he thinks that some of his guys did it.
The Clinton's are gone.
It certainly does. Sadly. As they say, follow they money...
Yep. Their Chinese mafia is still at work. Without the Chinese, Clinton wouldn't have gotten his Governorship in Arkansas. He's bought and paid for - and so is his wife.
Whoever did that to that poor man.
If I got my hands on him...
Oh my word. It hurts to even look at that picture. That poor man.
Whoever did this to him needs a little beating of their own.
Why beat him up when it would be so easy to just make the guy disappear forever or die in a staged accident? Why let him live?
Does that mean that other forms of retribution against whistleblowers are condoned as long as they don't involve physical violence?
Just look at the guy. I think they left him for dead. I don't think he was suppose to live through it.
I wish I understood this whole story but I don't.
I grew up wanting to be a Nuclear Physicist or Engineer since I was 6 or 7. I would read about UC Berkeley, and how at least 6 of the elements on the periodic table bear names from that college.
I spent my whole school life working to get into Berkeley. By the time 1984 had come around, the school was so bad off down the liberal sluce that it had BARELY retained its engineering accreditations. I had received the NROTC scholarship to go the previous year, and ended up going to USCGA instead.
That is a book that won't ever be written: The rise and fall of the California University System.
why beat him up versus not kill him? It sends a message to others who may be testifying or supplying data. In other words... a funny line I heard elsewhere: So, the plane is going down, speed it up... I don't wanna have to limp away from it.
Stanford had one huge financial scandal involving indirect billing aka overhead. It was mostly traced to one man, then president Donald Kennedy former head of the FDA under Jimmy Carter.
Forget it. They're busy writing about the really important stuff, like the Koran being peed on.
I think Wen Ho Lee was held in solitary confinement without bond for 12 months and occasionally was placed in leg irons.
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.
Official: Los Alamos Managers Wanted Fraud Report Held
http://tinyurl.com/8m7eh
Since when do whistleblowers meet up for comraderie? Is there like a secret social club for these guys?
The contract refers to the University of California, which has a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy to manage LANL. The contract will go out for bid the first time ever late this year or early next year. Walp said LANL's "elite" know the top leaders of LANL will be let go if a new contractor wins.
Hook said he had a similar experience. When he alleged a division leader was covering up fraud, waste and abuse involving the University of California, he said he was told his job was to protect UC, not to damage it. The lab did not send a representative to attend Tuesday's meeting.
I didn't know the UC Scientists were Teamsters.
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