FBI agents who say that they were punished after exposing wrongdoing in the department during the administration of former President Joe Biden are asking new FBI Director Kash Patel to review their cases.
In early March the group, Empower Oversight sent letter to Samuel Ramer, who serves as the FBI general counsel, in which is asked for assistance related to the alleged improper treatment of the whistleblowers, which included FBI agents and employees Garret O’Boyle, Marcus Allen, Stephen Friend, Zach Schofftsall, Monica Shillingburg, and Michael Zummer, Just The News reported.
Another four clients mentioned in the letter had their names redacted, including one who wants to share information on his time working under the infamous Peter Strzok.
One of the whistleblowers, staff operations specialist Marcus Allen, had his security clearance suspended “for questioning whether Director (Christopher) Wray had testified truthfully to Congress and other allegations based on SOS Allen’s political beliefs and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The agent, who was assigned to the FBI’s Charlotte Division, “was suspended indefinitely without pay.”
The group said that the FBI reached a settlement with Allen but that it did not completely fulfill its obligations under the agreement. It said that the FBI still needs to fix its client’s W2 tax forms and pay him the correct amount of leave he is owed.
“While I feel vindicated now in getting back my security clearance, it is sad that in the country I fought for as a Marine, the FBI was allowed to lie about my loyalty to the U.S. for two years,” the formerly suspended agent said. “Unless there is accountability, it will keep happening to others. Better oversight and changes to security clearance laws are key to stop abuses suffered by whistleblowers like me.”
Empower Oversight wants a “fresh review” of his and other whistleblower cases as well.
“The actions taken against our clients were in reprisal for protected whistleblowing and/or improper targeting because of their political beliefs,” organization founder and chairman Jason Foster said in the letter to the FBI.
“The common theme among most of our clients who had their security clearances suspended and or revoked is the FBI’s ability to indefinitely delay the process and financially pressure FBI employees by suspending their pay and blocking their ability to earn a living any other way. Most facing that dilemma simply resign with no prospect of a fair process to challenge it, which allows the pattern to repeat without remedy,” he said.
The attorneys representing the FBI agents said that “if the review by your office alone does not lead to direct managerial action to remedy the harms and resolve our clients’ pending matters, we would be willing to propose to our clients that they enter into mediation facilitated by a neutral mediator — assuming an acceptable senior official with no animus toward our clients is delegated settlement authority to represent the FBI in the mediation.”
The group said that “while we appreciate your review of these cases to explore ways to amicably resolve and remedy the harms the FBI has inflicted on our clients, we are also willing to engage in other good faith efforts to reach the same goals.”
“A lot of our work has to remain confidential because some clients do not wish to become public figures. Sometimes though, it takes public scrutiny to move the needle,” Foster said when he spoke to Just the News.
“These FBI clients have waited a very long time on a system that, as of today, is still failing to keep its promises to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. It’s past time to make good on those promises and give them real meaning in these cases,” Foster added.