Atomic Lab Cops Do Job, Get Fired

wired news ^ | 09:41 AM Nov. 27, 2002 PT | Noah Shachtman

[freepatriot32]

Senior investigators hired to root out fraud and corruption at Los Alamos National Laboratory have been fired -- just days after revealing what they knew to officials with the Department of Energy's inspector general.

Armed guards escorted Glenn Walp and Steven Doran out of their offices on Monday, a half-hour after Stan Busboom, director of security, informed the pair that they were not "suitable fit(s) for the requirements of (their) position(s)" at the lab's Office of Security Inquiries.

[freepatriot32]

According to Doran, on Sept. 19 he was brought into Busboom's office and told that his "career would end" if "UC's relationship with the FBI, inspector general or U.S. attorney suffered in any way."

well at least he has his prioritys straight the hell with national security or fraud his relationship with the goverment could suffer. im suprised he didnt shoot these two in the back of the head and claim self defence

[DannyTN]

If UC is not going to vigorously investigage theft of government funded property, then all of UC's contracts with the government should be brought to an end.

As long as they were taking corrective action they should be left in place.

It seems to me that with the firing of these two, it's time to yank UC's contracts.

[SCalGal]

Project on Government Oversight investigator Pete Stockton said, "Clearly, their investigations were far more aggressive than they were expected to be."

So, they were supposed to walk around, shuffle a few papers, look good, and not find more than a pencil missing. Sounds like the lab hired the wrong guys - these guys meant to do their jobs.

[coloradan]

Nope, no cover up here. Move along.

[archy]

So was Busboom worried that these guys would find out about the cash deal he'd cut with Osama bin-Laden's representatives? After all, who'd ever notice a little missing plutonium?

-archy-/-

[Diogenesis]

Like the coverup of cold fusion (Heavywatergate), the DOE
has NO accountability, and has had no accountability.

That is very unfortunate given the role of energy and US security.

[lodwick]

What sick sh*t - thanks for this one. bttt

[Cicero]

I can't believe that this will be allowed to stand. And I can't believe that UC would be stupid enough to fire a couple of whistle blowers openly like this. It's a public relations disaster that is pretty well bound to result in a lawsuit or a government investigation and rebuke.

[stands2reason]

Like the coverup of cold fusion (Heavywatergate), the DOE has NO accountability, and has had no accountability.For some reason, this comment made me think of you. :)

[lelio]

And I can't believe that UC would be stupid enough to fire a couple of whistle blowers
UC: What? We don't even know the guys. That's a Los Alamos Lab situation
Los Alamos: We didn't fire them, that's a UC decision.

Finger pointing goes on until people forget. I think that's half the reason there are outsourcing contracts, like for example the recent push to privatized a lot of federal work. I agree that a lot should be done by the private sector but there's a part of me that thinks that a big point of this is to reduce whistleblower activity.

[FormerLurker]

Unfortunetly, I don't think this is just an isolated case. I wonder how many "whistle blowers" will be left after all federal agencies are "restaffed"...

[PsyOp]

Sounds like Congressional Hearings are in order. As for UC, they should have their management contract pulled. The UC system is already trying to figure out how to deal with the budget cuts mandatated by Davis' incompetence - this ought to kill them.

[lelio]

I wonder how many "whistle blowers" will be left after all federal agencies are "restaffed"...
Same here. Like I said in the above post I think a lot of this privatization is CYA for any future leaks. Plus you more easily compartmentialize the problem by breaking it up.
That's about the only thing I agreed with the Democrats this year on: that there is an active push to not protect whistleblowers. Course the Democrats aren't much better helping them out.

[Maelstrom]

Peter Bussolini is the spy.

[pointsal]

Back to Berkely....cancel the contract ASAP.

[Bogie]

Was it just property that was missing, or did the property contain "information?"

[SR71A]

I wonder how many "whistle blowers" will be left after all federal agencies are "restaffed"...

Add it up. 1+ trillion unaccounted for at DOD. 59 billion unaccounted for at HUD. The odd dozens of billions every year that goes up the chute in waste, mismanagement, and just plain theft. Stealing money from government has always been a major money maker. Government whistleblowers have been a pain in the neck for this process, so they're going to "privatize" the Government. You're going to be paying a huge profit margin to the thieves while they're stealing more money from you. Do you think (for example) that Lockheed Martin employee A is going to blow the whistle on Lockheed Martin employee B for overcharging on a contract?

[Terridan]

Believe it! Remember, for the last 10 years these types have gotten away with it, and been rewarded for it!