80 replies to this topic

[nycwebslinger]

Got to be honest I had greater expectations for the CCN news story. I don't think it was as effective as it could have been because it was very limited in scope. From what I heard dozens of personnel were interviewed by CNN butonly 3 make it to the video segment. Moreover, to the general public and uninitiated it makes SA Cefelu look like he is lazy. Sorry but some civilians I know made that comment after seeing the segment. Again, we shoot ourselves in the foot. All I can say is that over the past 12 years in ATF I have seen alot of disgraceful things happen to good people who love their country and love the job. I still love going to work, but what I detest is the complete and total incompetance of managment. WHY IS NO ONE DISCUSSING THE AC? We get the managment we deserve!!! The AC has been compromised by management!!! They have allowed HUMMRO to provide training to SELECT groups of agents while implementing a manual order that prohibits the dissemination of test taking tips, strategy, etc. WHY IS NO ONE ON THIS WEBSITE TALKING ABOUT IT. I have talked to many people around the country that are fed up with HOW we select out managers and the complete and total disregard for fairness and integrity in the GS14 assessment center. The best way I can describe it was from a 14 that I know who was there evaluating the AC who described it as "A Joke". Any other thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

[corrections1]

I watched Anderson Cooper tonight and the interview with your Deputy Director. My first impression is what in the hell are we paying $150,000+ to an undercover agent who obviously can do nothing better than being an undercover agent? I would reduce his pay to about $80,000 a year and put his ass back on the street. My second impression is that your Deputy Director is busted hands down with the issue of retaliation against ATF's employees. But, since Waco, you guys haven't had a good rep, so why should I feel sorry for any of you poor saps?! The only thing that REALLY REALLY riles me is that I am wasting my taxdollars on a piece of shit organization like the ATF. What have you guys done for me lately? Close the F-ing agency down and fire your do-nothing Deputy Director with it!

[Enufsenuf]

Oh Mr. Melson, what are you doing? You cannot possibly have your head buried that far in the sand. In reference to the short video clip on CNN about the website cleanupatf.org, you say you took the site down from ATF's computers because of the disparaging remarks people make about certain groups. Would that be the group of managers we are all complaining about? The managers who retaliate against employees who complain about management tactics? The managers we've tried to talk to you about with your open door policy? We've tried to knock on your open door . . . it was closed tight! People have tried to gain access to you through many avenues, but you DO NOT WANT TO HEAR what we, the working man/woman, has to say. Why would we put our real names on cleanupatf.org? To get more reprisals and demotions? Mr. Melson, you say you look at cleanupatf.org about once every two weeks. You cannot possibly take it all in if you're only looking every two weeks. Check at least once a week. We have to put up with these managers every day . . . not once a week or once every two weeks. You say you want ATF employees to feel free to look at the website, but not on work computers. You have essentially closed off ALL communication in the bureau about management issues. We have no where to go (except this website) while managers have their ETHICS people to help them get out of every scrape they get into. Name one place, ONE PLACE, we have to go for our concerns to be heard! But you aren't really listening anyway, are you?

[ProConfesso]

TONIGHT! Part 2 of the CNN Anderson Cooper piece on ATF retaliation (it got bumped from Thursday to today - late breaking news maybe like Melson's intranet town hall video?).

Click the link for a preview of Edgar, the very Deputy Director who enacted and went along with ATF retaliation while he sat in the kings throne, complain about the retaliation he recieved and how all his friends bailed out on him. What goes around, comes around.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/05/28/atf.whistleblowers.ties/index.html

Domenech is the "pot calling the kettle black." Domenech made disparaging ethnic remarks while in supervision at ATF. He himself has punished and retaliated against employees who were not servile. He has used his position of power to let us say, "socialize" with the opposite sex. He is, very simply, a fraud and is an example of what needs to be cleaned up at ATF, along with the Office of "Ethics and Administration" which defends the bad behavior of managers at ATF. His phoney platitude that he "wishes nothing but the best" for SA Cefalu is rank - and may you to live in very interesting times Mr. Domenech.

[Doc Holiday]

Scot Thommason is a liar. I cannot believe Mr. Melson allowed him to say we "looked into it". Did you interview the other supervisors present when Msm Loos made the statements? We are securing multiple sworn statements to be placed on CUATF. You know counsel has taken a retaliatory position for years. Mr. Melson ignored a letter from a highly respected agent reporting lies under oath during the Mclemore debacle. Not only did Mr. Melson ignore it, fail to investigate it, but the managers are still in place. In fact at least one has once again surfaced for abuse in the Andrade case. Mr. Melson, if there is not a policy or rprisal and retaliation, then why webcast adressing the issue Bureau wide. You first and only webcast is regarding retaliation. You state what a great place to work ATF is. Then why so many early retirements and agents leaving the Bureau? Just be honest and deal with it.

[Thor God of Thunder]

Scot Thomason's quote to CNN on remarks made by ATF's Chief Ethics Attorney Eleaner Loos regarding employee disputes:

In a follow-up interview, Scot Thomasson, chief of ATF public affairs, told CNN that the bureau looked into the statements made by Loos.

"What we found is those statements were being taken out of context," Thomasson said. "In addition, they were being characterized in a slanted matter by the person who wrote it."

Scot Thomason is a company yes man and will say whatever Larry Ford tells him to say. He takes his orders from Ford and we know that Ford is a full-blown liar. ATF found Loos did nothing wrong because they will NEVER, EVER, NEVER admit guilt. Of course they found that the comments were "slanted" - it is ALWAYS the accuser who is wrong, malcontent, biased, etc., at ATF. Thomason confirmed what has been said on this site since its inception - THE FIELD IS ALWAYS WRONG! We never get it right in their eyes. Everything is ALWAYS out of context. Scot Thomason is a bobblehead who only nods "yes" to ATF. Who "looked into it" Scot? Our internal affairs? Give me a break. They have been directing investigations towards predetermined conclusions for years.

Ken Melson if you intend to uphold a single thing you said last night it has to start today, right now. No focus group. No study. No consultation with your advisors. No direction from your attorneys. Do the right thing, do it right now or lose all credibility with your agency and the public.

This is the same Scott Thomasson that was abusing an ATF employee under his supervision. This employee with cancer was denied by Scott Thomasson the accommodations that had previously been made for her due to her illness. This guy is spineless and has no right to say what is slanted and what is not. He is a coward and a professional liar!!! These are the sphincters that are promoted.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

To all of you that have fought and struggled to be heard in an attempt to save this Bureau, you are now being heard.

ATF UNDER FIRE - Anderson Cooper 360, Wed. May 26 and Thurs. May 27, (Two part story) in your respective time zone. There will also be a Print media version on CNN.Com when the show airs and will be open to comments. MAKE YOU VOICE HEARD.
TELL EVERYONE

Just logged into CNN at 4:18PM EST.

Part 2 of the ATF UNDER FIRE will air Fri May 28.

I copied and pasted the reporter's Twitter:

"AbbieCNN
1. Just found out part 2 of my ATF story was pushed to Friday. Ugh. "
about 1 hour ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

[adelgadoiis]

Ken Melson you just looked America in the eye and lied to them. There has been retaliation on your watch! It exists and continues. You know it and we know it. You have been decieved by your advisors. Pull your head out and take a look around. You are in denial!

I went to the CNN web site right after the show and expressed that it is terrible about the oil spill and it's impact on the ocean, the plant life, wildlife, and of course the people. I diplomatically stated that CNN should have run the whole 55 minutes as these brave Americans put themselves out there for the rest of us. They deserve a full oppportunity to tell their stories as this alleged misconduct and mismanagement is a fleecing of America and it is making American's vulnerable to more violent crime. CNN did not post my comment. I hope they give this story more air time tonight.

[truthandgrace]

So glad this was aired. What will Melson do about the abuse to Cefalu and others? Who will Cefalu be talking about tomorrow, Bort, Downs, Gleysteen, or Peralta? Anyone have a heads up?

[adelgadoiis]

Tonight on national and international television, the internet and on sites across the world wide web the vindication of ATF Special Agent Vince Cefalu will continue and take a giant step forward.

It doesn't matter if you like him. It doesn't matter if you agree with his methods. Nothing he has ever done or said warrants what ATF has done to him.

He stepped up when executives in the agency were engaging in and permitting corrupt investigative practices and his reward was whistleblower retaliation and the ATF led destruction of his career, reputation, finances, mental and physical health and most importantly - a huge damage to his wife and children. All so some corrupt executives could cover their tracks.

Watch tonight and find out a side of the story that the ATF wrongdoers have lied about for the past 3 years and have spun to the world as that of a disgruntled agent.

You be the judge.

I appreciate the courage and professionalism that SA Cefalu has demonstrated on taking a stand to do the right thing. As a fellow ATF whistle blower, I understand the stress and frustration that he and his family have experienced with ATF's legal counsel and leadership. Thank you Vince!

[truthandgrace]

Good idea...copies of the show and transcripts will be avaliable....but video taping is good idea.

[career13]

Can someone videotape this historic event so we can post the lies and deceit on youtube!!!

[ProConfesso]

I left Domenech off my list by accident. How did that happen? I guess I was so excited after seeing the teasers on CNN this weekend for ATF UNDER FIRE that I got caught up in the thought these guys were finally being publicly called out. My bad. Domenech allowed, enacted and supported more whistleblower reprisals on ATF employees than the entire current staff put together and he did it with a smile on his face. I hope they put that chicken s**t on camera. How does he even still have a job?

Didn't Domenech receive an official reprimand for stating in Bureau HQ that, "he could piss on any white man on this job." Of course, he just said this in jest, or so it goes.

[truthandgrace]

Any chance Cooper will be addressing what was done to Agent Cefalu by his lying self-serving ATF supervisors and co-workers? I am very much aware of the corrupt locals that opened the door to what happened to Agent Cefalu. Agent Cefalu did the right thing!!! Time for those who didn't to be held accountable! What Sticker????

[Valkyrie]

Doc, I can't wait. I saw the preview commercials this weekend. I hope CNN fully exposes the injustices that we as ATF employees have to endure. I hope its real hard hitting. I hope all those evil spirited bosses are cringeing. This may be the gift that keeps on giving. END ATF's CORRUPTION NOW!

When the spotlight goes on, you can bet the spin police at 99 New York will be out in full. Any takers on whether Mr. Melson and his crew of PGA flunkies and lawyers are already hatching ways to "explain" what CNN says? How about one of those special announcements, Mr. Melson? Maybe you can post a video on the intraweb or Youtube or send us a memo saying it is just a bunch of lies from disgruntled agents and you will take all allegations seriously because you want to help? Maybe you can send out some of those "talking points" so the currupt SES gang who is part of the problem can tell us poor slobs about HQ reality? The bad thing about lying to the press, saying "I wasn't aware of that" and "I don't remember" is that you can't bully them, or transfer them, or retaliate or sick IA on them like you and Hoover, Crenshaw, Ford, Domenech, Durham, Gleysteen, Martin, Gordon, O'Brien, Torres, Richardson, Gillette and many others have done. We can barely wait to see how you are going to explain it all away. Are you ready for your close up?

[Thor God of Thunder]

My sincere congratulations to Vince Cefalu and those that had the stones to come forward! This abuse, waste, fraud and mismanagement has to come to an end. Best Regards, Thor, The God of Thunder!

[Thor God of Thunder]

For those that dare speak the truth, there will be a moment of truth on May 26th and 27th, 2010. Watch Anderson 360!! The entire Bureau should be paying attention and watching. This is what has been a long time coming and this will finally set the record straight once and for all. CLEAN UP ATF!! ATF you have a lot of explaining to do!!

[Doc Holiday]

To all of you that have fought and struggled to be heard in an attempt to save this Bureau, you are now being heard. ATF UNDER FIRE - Anderson Cooper 360, Wed. May 26 and Thurs. May 27, (Two part story) in your respective time zone. There will also be a Print media version on CNN.Com when the show airs and will be open to comments. MAKE YOU VOICE HEARD. TELL EVERYONE