Archived Comments: 11/2009

Author: Valkyrie replied to comment from secretagentman November 29, 2009 8:53 PM Many people on this website have asked what we can do to bring pressure against the failed executives driving the broken car called ATF. Regardless of what happens with ATF, as career civil servants, none of us are in any real danger of actually losing a job if ATF went away by being broken into pieces or absorbed. It did not happen with the Secret Service scare of 1982, or even after the disgraceful spectacle of our top brass lying after Waco in 1993. I sincerely doubt that no matter how many lights are shined on how many of our cockroaches, DOJ will ever take any meaningful action unless prodded HARD to do it. DOJ has been passive in the extreme when it comes to the jurisdictional battles between us and the FBI, and on firearms trafficking between us and ICE. Never forget that this is also the VERY SAME DOJ which has created our latest fiction of leadership in the form of a jobs program for “acting director” Ken Melson, a seemingly nice, highly educated and well meaning man who was nevertheless totally unprepared to lead a law enforcement agency, and who apparently needed a job after he was eased out to make room for H. Marshall Jarrett, who had designs on Melson’s old job in the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA). It would appear ATF was a booby prize for him. I wonder what that says about us? If I understand things, Attorney General Eric Holder knows we have about 5,000 employees, and yet when the president declined to meet the 210 day deadline to place Melson’s name into nomination a few weeks ago, he needed a solution. Instead of burning some political chits to insist a large federal agency with a critical public safety mission get a real leader and some stability, he violated…at the very least in spirit, the process where most agencies have presidentially appointed and senate confirmed leaders by fronting Ken Melson as a SECOND deputy director, and then (I love this part), made our second deputy director (Melson) our acting director. Again. I guess we are just that much smarter than the FBI, ICE, DEA, CBP, IRS, etc., because even though they dwarf us by many times, we apparently need TWO deputy directors. Some of what I am going to suggest amounts to a “nuclear option,” so I’d think carefully before doing it. I see three options: 1. Keep on keeping on, and allow the status quo to “work.” This seems unlikely to be effective, although it is probably causing some minor discomfort to selected members of the 5th floor at 99 New York. 2. Start feeding selected information to oversight bodies like the GAO, DOJ OIG and OSC. OSC tends to target individual issues tied to people, so that won’t really work in my view. DOJ OIG seems to have no power to actually force anyone at DOJ to do anything. Just take a look at the recent Vanessa McLemore fiasco, where a lying sociopath and repeat offender was allowed to terrorize Houston and Atlanta for years, lie under oath, obstruct justice, get a paid move to DC for a made up job, and become the subject of a genuine criminal case report submitted by OIG to the Northern District of Alabama (since all of the Georgia US Attorneys recused themselves as did EOUSA). Look at the recent explosives report, or any of the many reports before that, and see if any DOJ agency was forced to do anything. The acceptance of a complaint by GAO (which will usually take a Member of Congress requesting an investigation), or DOJ OIG might (no guarantee) prompt a deeper look, but ATF leadership has weathered many storms. They are experts at covering their backsides, and their tracks. Think about it – if they would lie in matters such as depositions and sworn statements in EEO and OSC matters, WHAT might they do if their jobs are on the line…if they think they potentially could get tossed out of their SES jobs prematurely? This option seems to be a bit more likely to get results, but not uniformly. 3. The most drastic option is also the most painful one. We are subject to direct congressional oversight by a number of Members of Congress. From a little research, it seems the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is the committee chair. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D – Maryland) is the subcommittee chair covering DOJ, and Senator Richard Shelby (R – Alabama) is the ranking minority member. In the House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations is chaired by David Obey (D – Wisconsin). The subcommittee covering DOJ is chaired by Alan Mollohan (D – West Virginia), and Frank Wolf (R – Virginia) is the ranking member. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary is chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D – Vermont), while Senator Arlen Specter (D – Pennsylvania) is chair of subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, and the ranking minority member is Lindsey Graham (R – South Carolina). In the House of Representatives, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Michigan) is chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary. The chair of ATF’s subcommittee, (Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security) is Rep. Bobby Scott (D – Virginia), and the ranking minority member is Louie Gohmert (R- Texas). I can guarantee that PGA's very own superstar AD and ASAC for all of a year Larry Ford does his best to feather his own nest, and that doesn't include being honest, so all Congress and the media hears from the likes of him is One Big Spin Zone. The truth needs to come from other than ATF's royalty. A careful selection of materials sent to these people showing clear, unbiased and provable violation of ethics rules, misappropriation of appropriated funds, or of actual law through false testimony will get some attention, but that attention may be difficult to control once Pandora’s Box is opened. I love our agency, but we are badly out of control. Small fixes will no longer get the job done, and honest agents and IOIs will have nothing to fear from real change. I suspect that the road to correction will be very painful, and probably quite embarrassing, but I also believe that only through real change, and not false entreaties from Ken Melson asking for dialogue and input will we get back on track. There is a light ahead in the tunnel, but increasingly I am afraid it's an oncoming train. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Road Warrior November 28, 2009 6:01 PM Liza, I don't know the circumstances of your problems with ATF but don't need to. Isolationism is a part of the stratagy ATF uses to win disputes. They work to make you feel alone. They create an pressured enviornment for others who want to support you to stay quiet for fear of their own reprisal. There is validated information available that Loos has both overseen and/or participated in the fabrication of evidence to create a fraudulent defense for ATF. She is also involved in taking obstructionist measures to deny agents and investigators information that could help support an agents claim. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence available that Loos and her staff have known of fraud and corruption and has failed to report that, including perjury. Your journey will be long and expensive but if your claim is rightous you will prevail. The truth always seems to find its way out regardless of how hard they try to bury or distort it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Liza Beckner replied to comment from 007 November 28, 2009 4:17 PM Awww, but Martin was my DAD (OSII) before they fired me and there were some "questionable" personnel actions that were "changed" or flat rescinded. Speak to me. Why do you say he couldn't be? Sorry to keep posting my contacts but I'm fighting for my life here and spending a fortune. Liza.Beckner@yahoo.com or 703-216-0489. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Liza Beckner replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 28, 2009 4:05 PM I don't get info. When was Kumor made an AD and of what???? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Liza Beckner replied to comment from Road Warrior November 28, 2009 3:39 PM I have an MSPB date in January. Ms Loos is the agency's POC. Pls advise if there is anywhere I need to look before. I've tried, but obviously not looking in the right place(s). Contact info in previous comment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Liza Beckner November 28, 2009 3:36 PM Thor - I heard about the town hall meeting and my 25-year-pin. They did fire me on Oct 21st. If I misunderstood you, I apologize. I thought you were attacking me. This is very isolating but I understand that folks need to distance themselves. Please contact me if you have any advice. I am very demoralized and upset. I agree with you about banding together. I'm in. God knows, I've paid a fortune for my lawyer and lawsuits. Let's use it. I'll do anything to help anyone else not go through this. You know, not giving me access to documents for appeal, not paying me, not telling me about my health insurance, leave audits and screwing with my unemployment to name a few things. Someone here told me to buck up because MY ATF died several years ago. They were right!! They kept my last two paychecks and told DC unemployment that I was disabled. I have to get shots in my tailbone to ensure that I can walk and move now and have to prove it to get my unemployment. I have received no money for a month and a half. My mortgage company is not amused and neither am I. I wish I could share what really happened but I can't now. Liza.Beckner@yahoo.com 703-216-0489 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Road Warrior November 28, 2009 12:18 PM Melson, are you reading any of this? Go the archives and read those. Then start at the bottom and read up. We are communicating in the only way that you and your staff have left us. Blaming us for the problems and laying it on a lack of communication is actually funny. How can we do anything but laugh about your solution? You don’t live in our world. Your middlemen lie to us and they lie to you. Why don’t you cut them out and find the truth? We know that this will never happen. Why? Because the middlemen will never allow us to tell you the truth. That would prove to you how little they know about the facts of disputes and how entirely you have been deceived by their half-stories. Ronnie and Billy fight every fight with IA and Chief Counsel. They know that they’ve been caught red-handed but what do they care. The settlements don’t come out of their bank accounts. They suffer no repercussion. They have Loos and crew fight their fights with hopes that, “who knows, maybe the attorneys can break the agent before we have to pay.” You’re letting Billy call the ball on disputes. Do you know understand how compromised he is in this role based on his personal relationship with Chief Counsel? You didn’t get to your position by being anything less than an intelligent man but how do you justify overlooking this? How did you let Ronnie pull the cover-up deals he did? How did you let Crenshaw off the hook and send him back to Seattle to continue his personal mischief there? Do you think we don’t know about that? How come agents know more about what the real deal in ATF is than you do? We know everything and it is not flattering of you or your staff. How do you tolerate your attorneys to exist in immoral relationships with your executives? Really? How do you do that? Step up! Seek the truth! Close up your bad business that’s on the books and prevent more from piling up. That is the only way that ATF is going to survive. You can be the hero or you can join the list of our other failed directors who sat on their hands, shrugged their shoulders and let the insanity continue. What do you want to do? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Liza Beckner replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 28, 2009 11:43 AM Thor, I was very disturbed to read your post to me. Why would anyone want to attack me with blatant lies and distort the truth? I don't know anything about a B&E charge, "compromising information", nor about resisting. You got the DUI right--in April of 2008!! You got the abseentism right but you forgot the under doctor's care part. I can't provide a lot of information at this point because of litigation. I don't appreciate your posting this crap here when I can't defend myself. A lot of people have helped me from this site and I don't need you undermining that. I'll tell you one more thing, someone's been taking little parts of official documents that are confidential and embellishing or distorting them. Enough said. Any questions from anyone? 703-216-0489 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 28, 2009 9:36 AM There was a townhall meeting in the Boston area where DD Melson expressed concern with regards to the personal retlationships between ATF employees....was he talking about Hoover? This past week DD Melson had a townhall meeting with Billy Hoover at his side. During the townhall on I believe Monday, he had some service awards to hand out and my mouth dropped open when DD Melson called her name and had one for Liza Beckner, who is currently administrative leave and ATF is attempting to fire her. What can be done? I think that we should have these management officials prosecuted for conspiray to commit RICO for running ATF like a mafia syndicate and violating personnel policies. There personal gain is promotions and those fat undeserved bonuses they receive each year. The RICO predicate offense is prostitution. This is where screwing the help comes in because it is in exchange for promotions, yearly awards or job assignments in comparison to those of us that do not have the plumbing to even compete with that. Another option could be a class action lawsuit where any and all victims of prohibited personnel practices are members of the class. There is a lot of historical data and evidence already in ATF's possession. Even if we lost, I think this process would expose the corruption and let officials know that this type of behavior will not be tolerated and will be exposed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from Retired and loving it November 28, 2009 9:26 AM Sorry Retired, I am just trying to get the information out there. I will try to do a better job with spell checking my postings... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: secretagentman replied to comment from CUATF Webmaster November 27, 2009 1:01 PM I couldn't agree more. But here is the question of the century-What can we do? I mean besides the internal grievances, EEO complaints, OSC complaints, etc.? Though I agree that most of the time the individual usually prevails, it is the long time and stressful road it takes to get there. Posting here is great and gives us all a sense of "we're not in it alone", but what action can we do? Believe me I am not saying this to mean "oh well we just have to take it? I truly am asking what can we do collectively? All this talk is good but we have to move with action in a way that will get all those on board that have reasons but are too afraid to get involved? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 27, 2009 9:06 AM Submitted by: Agent Incredulous Mr. Melson, We all have better things to do than sit around and insult the Director, but with all due respect, your recent article entitled, “Speak Up”, surely has to be one of the most appallingly disconnected and unrealistic collections of platitudes to ever find its way out of that office. Although I don’t doubt that you are a ‘true believer’, not one experienced field agent took a single word of it seriously, because it has not the slightest resemblance to actual reality. I would suggest that the metaphors and tired expressions you chose say a lot about how you and your entourage genuinely view us field rabble. First, the fact that you would choose as your source to quote, a corrupt Middle Eastern dictator who got his ass kicked by a much smaller nation and was ultimately assassinated by his own troops, is nothing short of bizarre. Sure, there were many things about Sadat that were worthy of respect, but only someone who is almost completely disconnected from the day-to-day realities of life as an ATF agent would select such a thoroughly irrelevant quote from such a controversial figure with so many conflicting attributes and vices. The quote you chose is both irrelevant and asinine for one simple reason: The stark reality is that few if any of ATF’s current executives or managers would ever deign to lift a fat, pinkie-ringed finger, let alone “go to the ends of the Earth” to “save one of their soldiers” (agents or employees). In fact, the truth is precisely the opposite...in this agency, managers routinely bend over backwards and go to extraordinary extremes to discredit, smear and even professionally and personally destroy any agent they view as in any way “non-conformist”. If you wanted to quote a truly relevant world leader as an example of how communications are handled in this Bureau, why not go with a Stalin or maybe a Chairman Mao? Although this will clearly come as an utter shock to you, their management and “employee relations” styles were much more in line with that of your current apparatchiks at all levels of ATF. Aside from all that, assuming that you (Ken Melson) represent the metaphorical “Sadat” in the fantasy world described in your article, exactly which “Knesset” are you willing to go to? Would that be your inner circle of salivating sycophants? They are basically like the old Soviet Politburo (but with a lot less imagination and ability), and have been lying to starry-eyed chair warmers just like you for decades. Or, maybe you would champion us “soldiers” before ATF’s Chief Counsel’s Office? Oh no, wait…they are like the old-school KGB (but far meaner and with even lower moral standards), and have long made a sport of annihilating agents that dare to raise even clearly legitimate issues or complaints. Although you and they probably don’t realize it, those dark days are about to come to an end in courtrooms across the land. Or, perhaps you were rhetorically referring to Congress? Damn, that won’t work either, will it? Even if, through Hell actually freezing over, you suddenly somehow magically gained a remotely lucid picture of the true state of affairs outside the doors of 99 New York Ave., admitting how thoroughly screwed-up your own agency is at the operational level might well result in it being disbanded or defunded. Clearly, that’s not an option. So, we’re at a loss here…how far and just where are you willing to go for us, Mr. Sadat? With all respect, a good start might be to stop flapping your gums (all of your predecessors have mouthed similar clichés) and…show us your travellin’ papers. I’ll explain what that means in a few moments. Moreover, Sadat was speaking to the mortal enemies of Egypt and the Arab world (Israel). Is that how we mere agents and employees are viewed at your level, Ken? As sworn and despised enemies? Suddenly, it’s all starting to make sense. OK, well, how will we reach a “Camp David Accord”? Are you going to invite some of us knuckle-draggers to your summer cottage for a sit down, heart-to-heart over some premium single malt scotch? I must also remind you that Sadat’s third wheel ally at the time of the Camp David “agreement” was one James Earl Carter Jr., indisputably one of the most comically incompetent and linguini-spined “leaders” in modern history. Who will play his part in this tragicomedy of yours? Billy, Ronnie? Or maybe you can drag Truscott or Domenich out of their cushy consolation gigs for a final blockbuster performance? I’d take a strong look at Truscott, because you can probably get an executive suite and bathroom remodel out of the deal. You said (to our utter astonishment): “I’ll get right to the point. I think it’s vital that we keep the lines of communication open at ATF. We need to keep talking to each other. I don’t know what’s on your mind unless you tell me. Your supervisors don’t know what’s on your mind unless you tell them. The person who sits next to you can’t possibly know what’s on your mind unless you talk to them.” Nothing better illustrates your abject unfamiliarity with real life in ATF than this entire paragraph. You may “think it’s vital”, but your managers and supervisors don’t. And no sane field agent would ever tell his supervisor what is actually “on his mind” (unless he wants to be assigned to a BFE field office, relentlessly harassed, or flipping burgers for a living). Seriously, Ken…what color is the sun in your world? The problem has nothing whatsoever to do with opportunities for open, productive communication between ATF personnel and their leadership being “elusive” (unless by “elusive”, you really mean, “suicidal” for any employees stupid enough to actually…”speak up”). The real problem is that at the employee level, most “two-way” communications that amount to anything beyond, “Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!”, are likely to be rewarded with harassment, disciplinary action, involuntary transfers, or termination. I guess those could be considered methods of “communication”, ATF-style. You also said that, “communication within an agency has a tendency to travel just one way—downhill, from top to bottom.” While that is certainly true in the case of ATF, it’s hardly some “unalterable rule” of quantum organizational physics. It‘s that way in our agency simply because the people responsible for defining the nature and character of our corporate culture (yourself included) have been completely unable or unwilling to effectively lead. Competent managers could absolutely instill and maintain an environment that fosters open, honest and effective two-way communications at all levels of ATF. However, that would require not only a 180 degree paradigm shift, but a massive housecleaning of the good ol’ boy corruption and mean-spirited, self-serving, tin pot dictators that currently populate many of our executive and management positions. The fact that you are supposedly “unaware” that this is the true situation, while not at all surprising, doesn’t change anything. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. You said, “…our employees need to know that their careers will not be on the line if they speak up with some constructive criticism.” A lofty and noble thought, but once again, so diametrically opposed to basic reality as to be frankly comical. You continued with, “Frankly, we cannot improve as an organization if we don’t know what’s on the minds of our employees—the people who actually do the work.” Truer words have never been spoken, but this is exactly why ATF, in its present form, can never improve as an organization. The Bureau’s current management philosophy is utterly incompatible with an environment under which you (or anyone else wearing a suit between you and the street) will ever truly “know what’s on the mind of the people actually doing the work”, as long as your managers, counsel, IA assassins and other minions are spring-loaded to hack the heads off any heretic who so much as thinks about questioning, let alone challenging the company line. Sorry Mr. Melson, but to say that you don’t have a clue about what you’re saying here would be exceedingly generous. This is one of my favorites: “Everyone here has a voice, and all your voices need to be heard. This is my promise to you: if you speak up, you will be heard. Your observations will be taken into consideration.” Apparently by “here”, you mean, “at HQ”, because anything else is laughable at face value (at least, to those of us that have to live and work out here in the “non-make-believe” ATF world). Words do not dictate reality, Ken, even at the Director level. And your promise isn’t worth the recycled paper it’s printed on, because you cannot and will not deliver on it. In order to do so, you would have to have a clear, unfiltered picture of what really goes on far below the ivory tower you are ensconced in. You would have to be surrounded by, or at least have some occasional, more than casual interaction with people whose entire professional existence does not depend upon their finely-tuned ability to blow fragrant blossoms of happy smoke up your beautifully creased suit pants. We won’t hold our collective breaths, I assure you. Heck, the sheer naivety and abject cluelessness of your “promise” are breathtaking enough, and please believe it when I say that it is almost universally viewed with nothing but the utmost scorn and cynicism by those of us assigned to ATF’s “Planet Earth” Field Division. You closed with the following diatribe: “But now, I must ask something in return. Before you speak up, think. Formulate your thoughts carefully. Your purpose should always be to communicate honestly, clearly and respectfully, with an eye toward making things better. Words are powerful, so we must use them carefully. It has been my experience that people become angry, exasperated or even depressed when they feel they are being ignored. I don’t want anyone here at ATF to feel invisible. We need your input, your participation, your enthusiasm. We need everyone’s shoulder at the wheel, and if your leadership is going to ask you to work hard, toe the line and go that extra mile every day, then we should, at the very least, be willing to hear you out when you have something you need to say.” It’s difficult to know just where to start in responding to such sheer claptrap, so I’ll use my own lame metaphor. For some reason, this reminded me of what it might sound like if Gandhi was trying to offer heartfelt advice about choosing the best whorehouse. Everybody would listen politely, but once out of earshot, shake their heads, laugh out loud, slap each other on the back, and head in exactly the opposite direction from what the esteemed Mahatma suggested. Ken, you clearly know naught about that which you have pontificated upon, because if you did, you would recognize how egregiously ridiculous it was to utter such nonsense. How nice it must be to live in such a comforting dream world where unpleasant reality is never permitted to rain on one’s shiny clean parade. To sum it all up, you have delivered yet another in a seemingly endless smorgasbord of meaningless slogans and worn out platitudes, while failing to propose, let alone implement, even a single plausible mechanism for translating your whimsy into reality. Scores of ATF Agents have not merely sought methods of communications with you and your staff, we have gotten on our knees and begged for it. You, Ronnie, Billy and the vast majority of the GS-15’s under your command have responded with nothing but arrogance, disdain and resounding silence (other than condescending “Can’t we all get along?” navel gazing like your “Speak Up” piece). What a flagrant waste of government ink. Our Director has time to insult us with tripe like this, but the agency can’t stoop to publicize the passing of one of our true legends and heroes? It’s really despicable, Ken, and we aren’t buying it. If you truly want to open up two-way communications in this Bureau…if you’re not just blathering to hear yourself talk…if you really believe even a fraction of what you’ve espoused, then put your money where your mouth is. Step directly over or around the pack of yammering jackals that have “led” our once great agency to the brink of disaster, and get the real scoop from those of us who are doing America’s business every day. You’re obviously a smart (if currently clueless) guy…we’ll leave you to figure out how to achieve it (assuming that you are not, in fact, simply full of it just like your recent predecessors). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 27, 2009 9:03 AM From: Insulted Agent I am posting here in response to Acting Director / Acting Deputy Director Melson’s editorial lecture in the November issue of Inside ATF. In his monthly “Director’s Corner” message ADDD Melson tells his employees to “Speak Up!” He tells us that we need to communicate if we want change at ATF. Really? Is this what the ADDD and his executive staff learn at their advanced management seminars? I am writing to the readers, writers and followers of CleanUpATF for one simple reason. We should all be clear that previous and numerous attempts to communicate the bad acts of ATF management to the attention of ADDD Melson and his executive staff have fallen on deaf ears. Even more troubling is that complaints routinely result in reprisal from the ADDD’s executive staff and subordinates against the complaining employee and he knows it. We have attempted to communicate to first-line supervisors in every way imaginable. When those attempts failed we moved to ASACs and then SACs. When those failed we tried the Ombudsman. Still no luck. Go beyond that level and employees are reprimanded for violating the chain of command. Emails, phone calls and letters to Melson and his management team did not warrant so much as an acknowledgment of receipt let alone ANY indication of an interest in paying attention to the problems. ADDD Melson’s message is a mockery of us. We have then been forced to file internal grievances, EEO complaints, referrals of information to the Office of Special Counsel, the Inspector General, ATF’s Internal Affairs, Senators and Congressmen. These lead to oversight investigations, EEO investigations, Congressional reviews and lawsuits. All because attempts to communicate were dismissed with no interest paid. The ADDD was asked to speak to a group of agents with a common dispute. He refused his own instructions to us and would not communicate. Because of that, ATF’s crack team of attorneys are doing their very best to fight off a class action lawsuit. More on this will be posted soon. The instruction to Speak Up! is a management message I would expect to be delivered to the French Fry team and McDonald’s. We are college educated men and women. The problem that the ADDD doesn’t understand is that Speaking Up! doesn’t and hasn’t worked at ATF since he took charge. His message shows how truly disconnected he and his executives are from the field staff. We know that the ADDD is briefed by his trusted inner-circle about how self-important, greedy and disgruntled we all are. But, has Melson ever contacted ANY of you to “communicate” and hear the other side of his filtered information? Has he ever indicated that there could remotely be another version of a dispute besides the one he is spoon fed? Trust me on this, when the ADDD is asked directly the tough questions, his answers are going to be the ones that Ronnie and Billy mastered and perfected, “I don’t recall that”, “I was not aware of that” and “I will have to look into that”. Those are the catch-all “cover your ass” answers that the executives are so well trained in. Deny, deny, deny, lie, lie, lie, insert counter allegations, open an IA investigation and create a hostile work environment. Works every time – almost. When you are the ADDD you MUST KNOW what is going on in your agency! You MUST KNOW the entire truth! You MUST exercise all due diligence available to you to seek the truth on all matters of ATF! If you are the ADDD nothing else is acceptable. Why does the ADDD allow ATF’s Chief Counsels office to fight every single employee dispute raised against the agency? Are the hundreds of employees who have filed complaints all wrong Mr. Rubenstein? What kind of advise are you giving ADDD Melson? We know what kind of advice and assistance your office is providing to Billy but that discussion is being saved for another day. Apparently both of you believe the executive assessment that we are all nothing but a basket of “sour grapes” and malcontents. Do the ADDD and Rubenstein ever look at the facts of a dispute and adjust accordingly? They instantly fight back and throw gas on the fire. Agents listen and learn here: In the eyes of Chief Counsel YOU ARE NOT ATF. Chief Counsels “client” is the GS-15 and above level managers. You are the enemy and they will go to any length to hurt you. If you, Mr. or Mrs. Agent, are harmed by ATF, get your own attorney and prepare to spend a lot of money and have your career and reputation destroyed in the process. If your complaint and resolve is strong enough to endure you might be able to fight off the pink slip. This begs the question, “If the employees are always wrong how come ATF loses damn near every dispute?” ADDD Melson has supported (or at least stood by for) his executive staffs actions to reprimand, fraudulently investigate, threaten, transfer, discipline and terminate those employees who have had the courage to Speak Up! Trust me on this too; there are hundreds more employees who have equal, if not more damaging complaints against ATF management than the ones already on the books. To date, the ATF executive management tactic of reprisal against whistleblowers has worked. Employees don’t dare attach their names to a complaint against ATF or a manager and no one can blame them. Field employees have seen what has happened to their peers and they decide that complaining is not worth the reprisal. Most would prefer to tolerate the bad acts and avoid the hostile work environment. Most choose survival over justice. I cannot disagree. Thus, the cycle is reinforced and continues. ADDD Melson stated in his message that employees should not have to fear that their careers will be damaged by Speaking Up! The fact that the ADDD wrote this down in a message to us acknowledges that in fact this is exactly how life is at ATF. The gift that Domenech gave us is his own whistleblower complaint is that whistleblowers suffer reprisal at ATF. When that confirmation comes from the ex-Deputy Director then it sticks. When it is reaffirmed by the ADDD in his Speak Up! message then that is all we needed. We have known for years what you two helped confirm as true. Does the ADDD think that after an agent is damaged he or she wakes up the next day spends his or her personal money to retain an attorney to file a lawsuit? OPEN YOUR EYES! It only gets to that point after the ADDD and his subordinates have refused to listen and his henchmen have ganged up on the complainant to inflict their backdoor career damage. They hide behind smiles and handshakes and “Aw shucks” and “we’re family” while they sink the knife in your back. The ADDD is living in a bubble and his executive staff is in charge of life support. He is fed his information on every dispute by a corrupt group of lying, cheating, self-serving executives that have long held the privilege of having the first and last word on all disputes. They have become power corrupt after having gone unchallenged for years. Now the ADDD wants us to Speak Up! and not fear reprisal? Get real. Those subordinates were waiting and hoping that the ADDD would not be sticking around so they could return to normal. If Melson thinks that this is not the case then he definitely is not listening to the word on the street coming from the AD/SAC grapevine. We are insulted by the ADDD’s lack of understanding. He showed a complete lack of comprehension of what takes place around him by instructing agents to communicate with management. We are insulted by his failures to control his subordinates. We are insulted by the ADDD’s failure to see how he is manipulated by his staff. Melson has followed the Director’s of ATF recent past – blame the agents for the problem and leave the agents to figure out the solution. Maybe a “Study Group” will make all this well? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Retired and loving it November 25, 2009 12:20 PM Can someone tell me if the Micheal Russell who passes away recently is the one who waa assigned to the ATF Academy in the late 90s/early/20s? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Retired and loving it replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 25, 2009 12:13 PM Thor you really need to learn how to spell and use the proper words if you're going to write in the English language ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from 20 year IOI November 21, 2009 12:52 AM A couple of things that I would like to point out. The post I posted was not in any way critical of Mr. Zamillo's acomplishments or career. I would love to have the same detriments as DAD Zamillo to my career and be a DAD. I guess they finally figured out how to transfer it correctly. Initially, illegally transporting it to the district was being considered for presentation during the DIO conference. However, the fact that ATF's resources were utilized to solicit this high value gift and the high value of the gift may still not be appropriate. You may need to check your ethics training. It wreaks with the smell of it being inappropriate and does not pass the smell test. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 20 year IOI replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 20, 2009 4:25 PM I wanted to comment on the posts regarding DAD Zammillo's retirement. Like my screen name says - I'm a 20 year IOI. All field - no Headquarters time. Several posts raised concerns about the gift (an engraved Colt .45). It is an unusual gift, and I understand Counsel was consulted to make sure it was done right. Rather than run afoul of the DC and federal laws, the firearm is being shipped from the FFL in Virginia where the engarving was done to an FFL in DAD Zammillo's home State (Maryland). He will complete a 4473 and background check to receive the gift. He received the empty presentation case at his retirement dinner. This gift was in the planning stages for quite a while, and yes - money was solicited from the IOIs. It was the intention that the gift come from the field personnel. How many other ATF managers have earned that kind of respect? BTW - check your online ethics training - subordinates are permitted to give gifts of higher value to supervisors for special occasions - retirement is specifically included. The DIO conference was not held to facilitate the retirement dinner. The DIOs meet at the beginning of each fiscal year to review any policy changes and the upcoming operating plans. The retirement dinner was planned to coincide with the regularly scheduled conference. DAD Zamillo's actual retirement is not until the end of the year. I visit this site pretty regularly to keep up on things. Many of the posts have the common thread that ATF's upper management does not stand behind people in the field. For those who do not know DAD Zammillo, he was a field Inspector and supervisor for over 20 years. He was transferred to DC late in his career. He is not someone who has jumped from job to job in order to "punch his ticket" and further his own career ambitions. Even in the position of DAD, he did not forget that the people who fulfill ATF's mission are the ones in the trenches working hard every day. You may not agree with his positions about the role of Industry Operations, and that's ok. Reasonable people can agree to disagree. As Mrs. Chuy's message pointed out, DAD Zammillo worked hard to make life better for the IOIs, often to the detriment of his own career. Instead of being critical, maybe some of the people posting to this site should ask why there are not more people like DAD Zammillo in ATF's supervisory ranks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from Career13 November 20, 2009 6:40 AM We may have our issues. I don't think that they are as simple as not having a billboard on the side of the road and not having an internet presence on the internet. I have travelled this country and I have seen ATF billboards on the side of the road announcing the gun hotlines and don't lie for the other guy. While I must agree Facebook and Twitter are the fad of the day, it is not the only method of communication. Have you been on www.atf.gov? That is ATF's internet presence. Our problems as an agency are much deeper than not having billboard on the side of the road and a Facebook or Twitter page/profile. Just muy point of view. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 20, 2009 6:30 AM Below you will find the text of the email sent out to the Industry Operations Investigators (IOI) as it relates to Jim Zamillo's gift, which is unethical due to its value in the amount of $1,400. This is an improper use of the government's resources and email. Of course, someone will know how much each IOI contributed and more than likely those that contributed the most will be the ones that benefit the most and, of course, Mrs. Chuy also since she organized the whole three ring circus thing. I understand the email may have made it to crooked Chief Counsel's Office. Has anyone heard what they had to say? Has anyone been disciplined because of this? While the contribution may be equal to $2 per IOI it is the value of the gift itself ($1,400) that is the concern. Additionally, the nationwide solicitation of all IOIs also. "Hello every IOI, DAD Jim Zammillo is retiring after 40+ years of service and we are planning his retirement party. Jim has fought very hard to get IOIs the needed resources, benefits and respect. He has always been at the forefront to promote IOIs programs and ensure that we received fair credit for our many contributions to the ATF mission (as Investigators, Area Supervisor, Program Manager, and Division Chiefs). Here are few ways Jim’s has touched all IOIs: 1. Jim has always promoted Telework for IOIs (IOIs comprise the largest group of ATF employees on Telework) 2. Jim fought to obtain Journeyman level GS-13 for field IOIs (most other federal agencies are languishing with journeyman 11 for similar positions) 3. Jim fought to get IOI shields (credentials)which merits the enforcement respect we need. 4. He has fought to ensure money is available and appropriate for Government vehicles and equipment. 5. He has fought to get IOIs their fair share of the ATF budget for equipment and resources. 6. He has fought for IOI specific training (Advanced Explosives, Chem Pyro, IOI Safety) 7. He has fought to get AUO for A/S and DIOs I have seen the positive image change the IOIs have taken over the past decade. We have come from being inspectors with little enforcement ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ity, to investigators which Congress recognizes as making an undeniable contribution to public safety. The respect we have earned is due to the IOI’s exceptional efforts in the field, coupled with Jim’s business genius at enhancing our positive image and professional evolution. Jim has positively impacted our professions and careers by continually serving as an advocate for all things IOI at the top level within ATF, DOJ and beyond. Because of his devotion to all the IOI’s we are planning a very special retirement party as well as parting gift. We have purchased a unique .45 Colt, Government Model Pistol personally engraved for him and we will be presenting this pistol as a present from all IOIs. Please see some a picture of the Colt pistol - it comes in a presentation case (box) and will contain a special shield engraved “Retired”. It’s engraved with Jim’s initials (JAZ) and has a custom grip. The finish is Colt’s royal blue. The picture does not do it justice – it is absolutely beautiful! Mark Williams has done a great job in working thru the details to acquire this gift. Some interesting stuff to share with you as relates to the legal issues with this gift and making sure that we do not make a “straw purchase” or illegal acquisition for this gift J. Counsel has made determination that not even a Special Agent can bring the pistol into the District of Columbia (DC has some very tough gun laws). So, the FMS Acting Chief is looking into preparing a waiver request for presentation to the DC Police Chief. The pistol has to be registered to be lawfully possessed within the confines of the District or have a waiver. As you know, there are many Federal, state and local restrictions that must be followed specific to the actual transfer. The pistol was purchased in Virginia, will be presented in DC and will be transferred to a Maryland resident (Jim’s residence). This is a complicated and untraditional gift, and as you probably already agree, this is really the perfect gift! Knowing him, I expect he will be very moved by this gift. He will be touched by this present because this will be his first and last recognition for all he has collectively done for us IOIs. This present will be presented as a gift from ALL the IOIs throughout the nation. The Colt has been specially manufactured and personally engraved for Jim which will explain the cost of $1,400 (this was not a typo…. $1,400). A small gift when we consider all the benefits we now receive due to all the work he has done for us. We wanted to include all 700+ IOIs and for you to know our plans for Jim’s retirement gift as well as the party. Many IOIs have already been asking how to contribute to Jim’s going away gift and the best way to organize this effort is thru one point of contact per Field Division or Area Office (I sure could use your help). If you would like to contribute money for Jim’s special retirement gift please give your money to your Supervisors (Area Supervisors or DIOs) or an assigned point of contact. I respectfully ask that you write one check for your office (this will help me greatly). You may mail one check with a note from whom it’s coming from. Mail check and note to: Cynthia Chuy ATF, IOI Program Manager (Removed Address and telephone #) If we are able to collect more than $1400 we will buy Jim some additional parting gifts from us all. In the next week or so, a flyer will be circulated regarding Jim’s retirement party. Thank you all and please contact me should you have any questions. Sincerely, p.s. sorry if you got multiple emails, you may have been on several email groups and I didn’t want to miss anyone. (First email sent to All DIOs and A/S, next email I will send to all IOI list) Cynthia Chuy Assistant to AD Industry Operations IOI Program Manager (Address and Phone Number Removed)" A little background, Cynthia Chuy is AD Daniel Kumor's wife. Not saying she is not qualified but there may be just a little nepotism going on and could explain why she was able to get this through without any sanctions. What do you think? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Career13 November 19, 2009 9:27 AM Ever wonder why ATF is rarely in the news and why we are so broke? I was driving down the Interstate the other day and saw that FBI has a billboard. I was on Twitter the other day and saw that FBI was there as well. I was on facebook several weeks ago and guess what - yup - they are there too. Even DEA has an online presence of more than their DOJ mandated web page. The more we tell people the good work we do - the more our constituents will appreciate our work product and efforts. This is not rocket surgery . . . Wake up HQ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Blackhawk replied to comment from secretagentman November 17, 2009 10:15 PM Does anyone else find it ironic the head indusrty operations "investigator" for ATF wants to conspire to violate firearms laws? Super Jim has had a great run. He spent his life badmouthing agents at every turn, while all the while working overtime to give cars to inspectors, get them badges twice (despite calling the latest ones “shields”), making sure even if you just have a few inspectors you get GS-14 parity with group supervisors and RACs, a GS-15 for supervising 2 or 3 “groups,” approval for 10 percent AUO for supervisory inspectors because god knows that none of them will ever apply for a measly GS-14 or 15 for “only” their salary, and almost doubling the number of inspectors while the agent population has basically been unchanged for more than 15 years. You’ve got to hand it to the guy, because while Chait has been asleep at the field ops switch and Billy Hoover for years before him, The Z Man (he likes to be called that) has built an empire and gone a long way to changing this from a law enforcement agency to once where regulatory “enforcement” is fighting for control of the way we do things. Too bad poor Jim and his cronies were not able to trick an agent in carrying his personal retirement handgun into DC for their party at Morton’s Steakhouse, because that would be illegal, eh Jim? Since the plot for one of Jim's subordinate GS-14 IOIs to go buy a gun for a resident of another state, knowing the recipient does not reside in VA, and then claim false pretenses for bringing a weapon into DC is common knowledge in the Crystal Palace, I wonder what Melson, Billy, Mark and the lawyers are going to do? Um….nothing. Jim, if you have badge, gun and g-ride envy, why don’t you do what most every agent had to do: earn it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 17, 2009 3:27 AM On Monday, November 17, 2009, it was announced that Acting Director Melson will be staying on with ATF as the Deputy Director and will be Acting Director until ATF finds a permanent one. Mr. Melson has 3 more years before he can retire. I hope that he is able to make changes that will benefit and restore the prestige back to ATF Again, I continue to hear that there are two females on the short list. 1. Soon to be former Attorney General in NJ 2. Current Police Chief of San Francisco, CA ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from secretagentman November 17, 2009 3:22 AM This is true and I may be able to get a copy of that email. I will see what I can do. Thanks for bringing this up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from 007 November 17, 2009 3:13 AM I appreciate your post and the email. I do not have any additional tangible evidence or input. The information was provided with Billy revealing in a meeting he has an apartment in DC when he resided in Virginia and as a matter of fact. It seemed to be common knowledge by the person who provided me with the info. This is what made it so credible. I guess he is feeling the stress. Billy being cleared via investigation is not credible. These people lie for breakfast and have a full course lying meal at lunch and dinner. It also depends on who the witnesses were and who conducted the investigation. I wonder what she would say in an official inquiry. I have witnessed Billy lying first hand. So, I really would not be surprised if he lied to investigators of an inquiry related to his conduct. As has been previously mentioned in this site, these officials will utilize the "I don't know" and "I don't recall defense" in a New York minute, even if they are in Washington, DC. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: secretagentman November 16, 2009 9:50 PM It seems as though it is not only the management of the agents that think they are above the law-It has come to my attention that the Industry Operation Investigators management play by their own rules too. An email was shared with me that was sent to the personnel of Industry Operations a few weeks ago. It seems as though Jim Zammillo, DAD of Industry Ops, is retiring and some HQ personnel under his command have been soliciting monetary donations from Industry Ops Investigators by email to pay for a retirement gift that has already been purchased. This gift is a handgun in a presentation box. Interesting enough, the handgun was bought in VA, being presented to him in DC and he resides in MD. Gee-my understanding was that it was illegal for non-licensed individuals to transport or receive any firearm interstate. But rules and regulations are for subordinates not the big wheels. To top it off, all Directors of Industry Operations are in DC this week for a "mandatory" meeting. Convenient that this "mandatory" meeting in which all DIOs are in travel status for (lodging, per diem, flights, etc)corresponds to the retirement party for DAD Zammillo. What waste of money. Money that could be used more efficiently for the true mission of ATF. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 14, 2009 4:19 PM You point is noted and will be followed in the future. Please remember, we are not professional computer people, we are Special Agents. We are just trying to maintain the credibility of the website. You are so right with regards to ATF employees, family members or not. The nepotism is shameful. We have received information that Mr. Hoover has been alleged to have been involved in questionable off duty conduct. As long as the same scrutiny into those actions is applied in any subsequent investigation, thats fine. Its when an Agent makes a mistake or has a lapse in judgment and gets hammered by Billy and crew, that it becomes untenable. If hes using Gov. resources of assets in furtherance of the conduct, he and whoever else is participating should be questioned as thoroughly as they have field agents in the past. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from Commander Cody November 14, 2009 10:46 AM I am not sure why the EEO complaint was handled so quickly and why the victim would make statements like the ones that you attribute to her. All I know is this, as long as we have officials that are willing to waste the taxpayers dollars by committing the same EEO violatiosn over and over again. Victims will always be able to make statements like the ones you refer to because ATF will pay. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from 007 November 14, 2009 10:40 AM I think that if there is objectionable material in a post, it should be edited and that portion removed. I don't think that the post should be removed entirely. I think that more interest has been developed on this site after some interesting posts. I also don't believe that anyone is targeting any of these officials families. The truth may hurt some of their family members but I think that if they read some of the posts that are "professional" they would be hurt any way. Additionally, if the family member work at ATF then I believe they are fair game. I will abide by the webmasters rules but just providing my point of view. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 November 13, 2009 10:36 AM I DONT THINK WE ARE WINNING THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS. RECENT POSTINGS IN THE MEDIA ACROSS THE COUNTRY SUGGEST THE PUBLIC WE SERVE ARE GETTING TIRED OF THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS OF OUR MANAGERS. BELOW IS AN EXCERPT FROM EXAMINER. CLEARLY THE PUBLIC WANTS OUR AGENCIES INTEGRITY RESTORED AS MUCH AS WE DO. KEEP MAKING CASES PEOPLE, IGNORE THE FOOLISHNESS AND RHETORIC COMING FROM OUR LEADERSHIP. REMEMBER, THE BEST WAY TO OVERCOME AND DEFEAT THE UNETHICAL PRACTICES IN ATF IS TO DO YOUR JOB BETTER THAN ANY AGENT OUT THERE, MAKE GOOD CASES IN SPITE OF THE BOSSES, AND EXPOSE THE ABUSES AT EVERY TURN. So here's what I urge you to do. If you have a congressman or congresswoman who is on any oversight committee, whether they are Republican or Democrat, forward these damning allegations by field agents against the SES crooks to the congresscritters with the demand that they look into these charges. Don't editorialize. Don't criticize the agency's mission. Keep it short and simple. You want the taxpayer's dollars protected and spent wisely. You want these agents' complaints looked into. I think it's a beautiful plan. I think we should try. Your letter or email doesn't need to be any more detailed than this--feel free to copy it and/or modify it as appropriate if you don't wish to write your own message: According to ATF employees who are risking their careers to post information on CleanUpATF.org: "Managers, Counsel, Internal Affairs and staff of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE or "ATF") have repeatedly given false testimony, concealed substantial waste, fraud and abuse, abused their lawful ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ity, and waged systematic campaigns of reprisal against their own employees that dare to speak out. This website is intended by members of the ATF community to promote restoration of integrity, accountability and responsibility to ATF's leadership, and regain the trust of the American taxpayer. " This is inexcusable. Please get back to me and let me know what you are doing to ensure hearings into these serious criminal allegations are conducted without delay. Who do you send it to? I'd start with my representatives--you can find your congressman here, and your senators here. Then, I'd contact the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Here's the contact form, and a screenshot of my submission: See, like the commercial says, it's "so easy even a caveman can do it." Isn't it past time we made some of the abusers personally accountable for their actions? Will you take a few minutes to join me, and to spread the word? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 replied to comment from CUATF Webmaster November 12, 2009 12:39 PM Well said Warrior. Matt Horace doesnt get to be a SAC after all his misconduct. Steve Martin cant be a DAD after his abuses. The report is public now and she lied and admitted it, but was protected. Yes I believe if Billy or anybody else in a position with the power to impact this Bureau has acted dishonorably and without regard for our field agents, I think they must be removed. It is my understanding that Mr. Hoover IS having his conduct reviewed. I am advised that Mr. Krenshaw is also having his actions reviewed. The OIG has referred Mr. Krenshaws violations back to OPSRO for investigation and are allegedly monitoring the outcome. We will see. Can they get it right?Gleysteen and Downs are still managers and the agency has been advised BY MULTIPLE sources that they have violated numerous policies and committed perjury under oath more than once. We will see if Mr. Melson or Hoover have the stones to hold JUST a couple of their peers responsible. They know we are watching and we will no longer settle for the double standards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 12, 2009 12:10 PM From: Rogue Warrior: I agree with the webmasters instructions that the issues raised by the CUATF bloggers need to remain in a professional context but, when our leadership is placing themselves in compromising personal situations, situations identical or worse to their own an ones they have ordered IA investigations and discipline for against their subordinates, then that hypocrisy becomes critical. ATF Agents have historically had no voice. Any complaint that did not reflect favorably on ATF or its senior executives was simply ignored. Look around. When an executive is involved (from Domenech to Stankeiwitz and everything in between) it is quickly resolved and swept under the rug. When a bottom of the barrel agent is involved they are forced to fight for years, spend thousands of dollars, suffer damage to their careers and reputations, battle the EEOC, IA and the legal system to find justice. The difference between then and now is today's agent is empowered and will not accept the double standard corruption that has historically been tolerated. This is good, not bad. This agency belongs to the agents. If the agents revolt or go away there is nothing for all those self-important big shots to manage. If the upper-tier goes away, the agents would be more productive and restore this agency to being the grass-roots investigators of old. Neither is going to happen. The managers disrespect for the field and the fields mistrust of management is going to remain and grow stronger until an entirely new set of shot callers is installed. Melson, Carter, Hoover, Chait, Ford, Logan, Carroll, numerous SAC's and ASAC's, etc., have not served us or ATF. They have stuck their collective heads in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong and that they are not responsible. They rely on Chief Counsel and DOJ attorneys to defend their bad acts. What do they care if it takes an agent years and years to find justice. Time is on their side. The settlements are paid for them, not by them. They don't suffer at all, their victims do and they are very content to keep it that way. They often win by breaking the spirit, will or bank of their accusers. The weak give in or get run over and the strong are contested to the bloody end. So, yes, keep the dirty little secrets off this page but don't ignore them. Expose them in the proper way. PS: the OIG report on the Vannessa McLemore investigation is available. When she was found to have lied to federal agents (a violation of 18 USC 1001) who from ATF cut the deal to keep her from being prosecuted? Who approached the OIG and told them ATF would handle this situation internally? Who from ATF approached the US Attorneys Office in Atlanta and convinced them not to prosecute? Who made the decision to hide her in HQ as the directors assistant? Who decided to allow her to retire as an ATF trendsetter and use the government computer system to solicit retirement gifts for her as an outgoing ATF hero? HQ has crawled up our a**es for years looking for relationship compromises, financial flaws, off duty mistakes, etc. Now we are doing that to you and we are not going to stop until the truth is told. You know what you have and done and guess what (?) so do we. This is going to get vicious and I'll bet you are not going to like being on the other end of the whip. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 November 12, 2009 8:59 AM Lady's and Gentleman of ATF. All of your participation on this website and day to day within the Bureau ARE making changes. As we have said all along, THIS IS OUR BUREAU. We must continue to highlight abuses and inconsistencies as they relate to the abuse and degradation of our employees and our Bureau. HOWEVER, we cannot make this a personal vendetta website. Managers eat their own, we DON'T. We would ask that you all consider the content of your postings, and remove any personal attacks against employees, and most specifically their FAMILIES. Recent postings were removed for this reason. If there are conduct issues related to Agents or managers that you feel are detrimental to the Bureau and its mission, we encourage you to post them and provide documentation. This can be accomplished by "GENERALLY" highlighting the conduct and violation of policy or procedure without specifically referencing any family members. If for example, highly placed Bureau officials are using their status or position to carry on illicit affairs in contradiction to ethical standards within the Bureau, Say so. But do it in a dignified manner and reference there off duty conduct as being hypocritical and/or unlawful. Make a formal complaint to the OIG or OPSRO. Finally, remember, this is not a tabloid website. We intend to continue to press Director Melson and DOJ to correct the horrible actions of our prior and current leadership, that is our right. If your personal goal is to exact payback against another Agent or Boss, Please do it elsewhere. God Bless ATF and ALL its Agents and Employees. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Commander Cody replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 11, 2009 7:04 AM Why is Stankiewicz's victim entitled to a settlement within just months of the complaint being filed, while other ATF personnel [lowly -13's and below] have their EEO complaints languish for years before Anthony Torres could be bothered to take a first look at the complaints? Also, when there's an out-of-court settlement, should the victim go and tell others about the general terms of the settlement, that, in other words, "now my child's college tuition is all paid for," or words to that effect? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 10, 2009 8:12 PM From: Insider ATF has long managed a quadry of our nations most successful undercover operators. Their collective accomplishments are mind-boggling. Their track record of overcoming incredible odds using ingenious methods of investigation is unchallenged. Now Marino Vidoli and his sidekicks in SOD have somehow found a way to destroy that program. What was once an intensely competitive process of being selected to the small group of UC's deemed the "best of the best" has been diluted with wanna-be's. Although ATF's elite UC's were never embraced by the mainstream of ATF what they brought to the table was unique and second to no other program in ATF. A few of the true experts remain but, many are now simply "Marino's Boys". The selection process was corrupted by Vidoli. The performance standards were minimized. Under Vidoli's direction the program has sunken. More of what he has done to this crew will soon be made available on this site. Stay tuned to be disqusted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 10, 2009 8:11 PM Now only if ATF would display the code of the Marines. HQ could use a big dose of honesty, integrity, dignity, reliability, honesty, accountability, honesty, commitment, honesty. You get the picture. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 10, 2009 8:10 PM From: Palmetto Remember last spring when all the allegations of misconduct were being argued in Las Vegas and reported by the local media regarding an undercover operation headed by ATF Agent Pete McCarthy? ATF did what you would expect. They sat on their hands and did NOTHING to assist or defend their agent. They let Pete twist in the wind and fight for his reputation and career all on his own. Well, now the presiding judge as ruled that NO MISCONDUCT took place and has completely exonerated Pete from the false and malicious claims levied by the defense team for suspects Pete caught and accused of commiting the most henious of violent crimes. ATF cares nothign for the Pete McCarthy's of this agency (me and you). Now that he has been cleared all the people sitting on the sidelines to wait for the result are standing up to be Pete's friend. Where was Ronnie Carter. He was supposed to be the "peoples champ", right. Pete worked for Ronnie in the Dallas FD and Ronnie knew what kind of agent and man Pete was. Ronnie didn't do a damn thing. Either did Melson or Billy or anyone from the San Francisco FD. They all let Pete figure this out on his own. ATF is no place for cowards. How many times does this have to happen? How many stories do you know of ATF sitting back and waiting for doom to settle on an agent passing on any interest to help when they know the truth? History repeats itself daily in ATF. Mistakes are made and then re-maed and improved on over and over and over. If this doesn't end, ATF will. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 10, 2009 8:24 AM Happy 234th to the United States Marine Corps and to all those who have worn the uniform. Semper Fi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from Liza Beckner November 8, 2009 6:37 AM Liza, I am not trying to put you in the spot light but there are couple of questions that I would like to ask. 1. Is it true that before you being escorted from ATF HQ you suffered from absenteeism and barely showed up for work? 2. Is it true that you broke into your deceased boyfriend's apartment to recover some allegedly compromising stuff he hadd on his computer and you charged with breaking an entering? 3. Is it true that charged with DUI and resisted arrest? Could this be the reason that the agency wants to fire you? If the answer to these questions are yes than no outsiders are trying to do this to you, you did it to yourself. I wish you luck in your quest to vindicate yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from 007 November 8, 2009 3:47 AM Don't forget that when he wants to demonstrate that he has done the job and risen like a turd, he will display the pony tail and wear his "colors" to show people that he has done u/c work. He is his own Public Information Officer (PIO). His idea of a retreat or Supervisor's Conference was a 5 mile hike in the mountains. While Mr. Martin may be physically fit, it is about the only thing that he may have going for himself. I understand that he is not that bright. Not a whole lot of achievements ever since and he has continue to rise in upper management (ATF's toilet bowl) like a turd. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from 007 November 8, 2009 3:36 AM Well to add to the names of HBO (High Bureau Officials) that can not qualify. Valerie Goddard can not qualify on the first go round and I doubt the second. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 replied to comment from CUATF Webmaster November 7, 2009 9:59 AM First of all, Steve Martin was not a Great Agent, he was a decent agent. He is/was a one trick pony. He had a good look. Was beginning to be somewhat of an ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ity on bikers and THATS it. Tried to keep his ponytail as a RAC in Oakland. When told that wouldn't fly, he cut it off and has saved that ratty piece of hair and actually displayed it for all to see for over ten years. Thats got to be a OSHA violation. His major character flaws revolved around a career long LACK of LOYALTY to anyone but himself. On the Warlocks case he threw his partners under the bus at every chance to make himself shine. He ratted them out for the little things we do to make the job happen, while doing worse himself. There was a significant IA after the case went down, and Mr. Martin would not have a job today had Malcolm not plucked him out of his problems. That didn't stop him from show boating his own efforts on the case. There were 4 yes FOUR primary UCs, but ask Martin, and it was all him. Its always all HIM. He decimated the Miami SRT, destroyed the cohesiveness of the SRT program by pressing Roger Guthrie out and has been allowed to continue his carnage. NOW HE'S JUST A INTELL GUY. He left the SFFD in a shambles, cost the bureau big dollars and crippled the morale of an entire field division. He supported headline grabbing glory cases which wasted precious Bureau resources. One case, 3 years, an entire enforcement group, $3,000,000 total expended (according to the case agent) and 12 defendants. You heard it. 12 defendants divided by 12 agents divided by 3 years = 1/3 defendant a year per agent at a PRE-Prosecution cost of $250,000 per defendant. Could any of you field agents maybe used that money more judiciously? Give me $50,000 and I'll promise 20 high end defendants right now. Its Martins need to been seen and heard NOT law enforcement that drives his decision making process. He was once asked point blank "Steve, once you've fired every senior agent in the SFFD, who are you going to supervise"? ANSWER......Ill staff the SFFD with new hires. Good call as always Steve. Maybe DAD Martin will respond to this and refute ANY of it. Heres your invite Mr. Martin. And while you are at it, what were the sentencing guidelines for the BIG Black RHINO horn aka neutrality act case? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 7, 2009 9:28 AM I believe that SAC Orange was referring to was Kelvin Crenshaw. He has allegedly not qualified multiple times, but this fact has gone unnoticed because he never qualifies with his troops. If this is NOT true, it is easily dispelled by him showing up at the next group qual and cranking out a 80 or above cold bore. Otherwise, a week of remedial followed by ONE chance to qual and then fired. After all, thats what Martin and Gleysteen and York did to Tokos. Oh yeah, one final point, His second qual must be with a personal time keeper, 3 supervisors present and bearing down on his qual and a range officer. What a joke. An SES who cant do the bare minimum of the job. Maybe Steve Martin will weigh in and demand that he be fired. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from Valkyrie November 6, 2009 6:46 PM While the Torreses (Julie and John), little man Edgar, Carlos, Kim Sanchez, Hugo Barrera and other hispanics only reached those levels of SES and GS-15s because they were promised by Malcolm Brady that if they did not file a class agent law suit like the African American Agents that they would rise to the top of the toilet bowl and float just like the turds that they are. Now in their small minds, they would like to think that they earned it or deserve it but they sold their souls in order to get the positions that they have today. They have provided no leadership and not made the correct or even right choices for the agency. They collecting a salary should be fraud, waste and abuse. They should all be charged with impersonating an ATF agent because this bunch definitely are not ATF Agents. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from CUATF Webmaster November 6, 2009 6:37 PM Agent Orange, You've got to call out the SAC that can't qualify man or woman...you've just got to say the name so that everyone knows and any incredible iota of credibility this idiot has left is extracted from his body. We are waiting to hear from you... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 6, 2009 7:50 AM Submitted by: Agent Orange Speaking of leadership, I watched a National Geographic Channel story about ATF's Warlocks investigation last night. Pretty cool case. The part that got me was when Steve Martin closed the program to say that he had a tear in his eye when he told the primary defendant that he had betrayed him. Remember the defendant was a criminal who had arranged machine-gun and explosives sales to Martin that he believed Martin was providing to Colombian cocaine traffickers. Did Martin shed a tear when he tried to fire our own Roger Gutherie, one of the best men, leaders, workers, heroes that ATF has ever known? How about when he did fire James Tokos for dropping two points on a qualification? (BTW Tokos was later did easily qualify, was reinstated to his SA position with compensatory damages, and, word is out that there is that we have a certain controversial SAC out there who can't qual. He won't go the the range with his people because he is such an embarrassment with a pistol. Is he going to be fired? Let me answer that one for you, NO! He'll be taken care of. Firing is for agents, protection is for managers. ) Did Martin weep when he tried to fire Vince Cefalu or transferred him a dozen times? Steve you were a heck of a good agent...what happened to you? Martin did his best to get rid of ATF Agents but he cried when he had to confess to a criminal that he caught him red-handed committing crimes. Way to go ATF. You promoted another leader of "our future". Pass the Kool-Aid please. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Valkyrie November 4, 2009 4:28 PM I have some comments about a recent posting on leadership being needed to step in and save the day, but there not being anyone willing to do it, and also the statement age is not a factor when it comes to people being capable. I guess I agree to a point. ATF has a surplus of high quality agents at a variety of ages, from senior 13s in the groups who hold things together (sometimes despite a lousy boss), to well respected RACs and even some ASACs and SACs. HOWEVER, while chronological age may not be necessary to succeed, it at least allows for an agent who wants to move up to at least have seen enough things to have a chance to lead by example and experience. Look at a few of the examples listed on this page in the last few weeks: - Considering our top tier over the last few years, you have DADs, ADs and DDs who all seem to have one thing in common: they became SACs in their early 40s or even their 30s. How have they done? I would say they have largely been a disaster looking at how the agency has deteriorated over the same period. Is it age, experience or something else? - Look at many of our 15s and how they have done. Sure, there are more of them than SACs and up so it is harder to generalize, but if you look at a few names that have been recent mentions, you have Kim Sanchez who got her 15 in HQ in her mid 30s with about 10 or so years on the job. She’s been a 15 for what’s gotta be a around a decade, and never been an ASAC, and look at what she’s in charge of! ASAC Mike Gleysteen did a few years in an arson group, and then made his supervisor bones in charge of some SRT guys before heading out to HQ for more SRT type stuff, and then got his 15 in charge of office reviews, again in his 30s. Crenshaw, Chait, Domenech, Newell, Durham, Julie and John Torres, Ford, blah, blah, blah…all picked up their ASAC jobs in their 30s, and look at them now! - There are way too many 14s to generalize, but taking recent topic Mike O’Neil (who apparently likes to be called “Spike”) you have the poster boy for why our AC system is jacked up. In the LA division he came on from some small agency as a lateral 12, was an agent for less than a year before applying for and getting the GS-13 intel position. As soon as the guy had 10 months as a 13, he was applying for every 14 that came around! A friend in HQ told me that they would see the guy’s name on almost every promotion panel, and he didn’t get anything because people at least knew he was too green…until the AC came around. Since the AC is (allegedly) a blind selection, apparently he got the first job where he was the only applicant since ATF couldn’t prevent him from promoting and after a short time as a RAC in Ashland, he was banging in for HQ jobs. Eventually, he got one. The rest as they say is history. I guarantee you the guy will put in for every 15 that comes down the road, and eventually he will get one, and then he will be your boss or mine. Check it out with some of the brothers and sisters in Los Angeles if you don’t think things happened this way. - ATF has spent a boatload sending people off to the War College and related schools, but what have we gotten in return? You can look all the way back to Ted Baltas, up through Willie Brownlee, Ray Rowley, Joe Riehl, Steve Herkins, Edgar Domenech and others to see what the best schools have given us. A hint: it isn’t the fault of the school; it’s the people we’re sending! Do any of these names come to mind when you think of people you really want running this place? To me, they are largely a list of different types of stupid people tricks that have been played on ATF, because the joke is on us, whether it is sending people as a retirement gift, to settle a grievance, throw a good buddy a bone, etc., this is how ATF views the War College? Everyone asks what we can do and yells about leadership, but I’ve got to say it will never happen anytime soon unless an outside force steps in. Why do I think that? First, most of the people in ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ity now (and I am talking about SESers since they have the true power) don’t want things to change! They got theirs. They like things the way they are and they want to bring their friends with them. They are in The Club. They are The Man (or Woman). If you have good ideas, are respected, or want to change things, you are a threat to their ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ity. Believe it. With such a weak front line at 99 New York Avenue, it will take more than a few good men and women in there. It will take a very strong Director and Deputy Director willing to crack some proverbial professional skulls, demand change and accountability from the TOP DOWN, and enforce it to sweep the many bad people out that are in the way. The “Mediocracy” (think democracy meets keystone cops) we have running things now will not give up without a fight. They will sue and they will howl, and some will go to OSC and the OIG so whoever gets in those two top slots had better be ready. Only when the right conditions have finally been created and it is not suicide for good people to pop their heads up and volunteer to be part of the solution, will people do it. I bet there will be lots of actually qualified people willing to do so, but right now, it’s not a lack of courage that keeps people from stepping up, it is recognition that the odds are impossible right now until we have a real executive staff in DC, and not a bunch of narcissistic posers looking for the next big thing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 3, 2009 6:45 PM I just want to say that today I realize that a whole lot of people read this website. They may not want to go on the record themselves and contribute but they will read and laugh or smile or both. I have also heard people comment "Did you read cleanupatf.org?" or "Have you read cleanupatf.org lately? The will be, "I sure did." This indicates to me that some the comments made here ring true with the rank and file. One management official said, "I am in cleanupatf.org." This guy was attempting to infer that what was in this website was not true. I am not sure if what is in this website related to this guy is true or not. All I know is that there is a lot of injustice, a lot of worst practices, a lot of illegal actions, and unfairness going on in ATF. We all agree that the ship is sinking. The question is what are we going to do about it? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster November 3, 2009 7:21 AM From: ????? Doesn't Dobbins work for O'Niel, or at least he did? Haven't heard much from him of late. What's up Jaybird? What happened to your crusade? He either won big and got out or lost big and shut up. Can't find him on any of the drop downs? I personally don't care if a boss is 25 if he can lead. And conversely, if he is 55 and can't. Age is not the key, courage is. Decisiveness is. Doing the right thing for the right reasons is. We are sinking fast and there does not appear to be anyone willing to step in and save the day. ATF is like a slow motion implosion that we are all watching but unable to stop it. Our darkest hour is the greatest opportunity for someone, of any age, to make change. Apparently that person does not exist from within. Our present leadership team (and I use that term very loosely) is waiting for someone to tell them what to do. That is not leading, its following. ATF has HQ SES executives with advanced degrees, war college experience and years and years of sitting in their spots at the top. Where are you guys? That war college diploma is nothing more than a piece of paper if you don't implement the instruction you received. Why even send people to these leadership schools if they don't have the character to put their training into action? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 3, 2009 3:52 AM Update on Stankeiwicz..... I understand that ATF settled with Stankeiwicz's victim based on the fact that Stankeiwicz was to have no further contact with the victim and when he sent out the email to the Philadelphia exchange, you guessed it, it constituted contact. I wonder how much $$$ ATF paid? I would love to see that Settlement Agreement! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 3, 2009 3:43 AM In light of the fact that we are holding responsible and accountable those from the top down. I want to send a shout out to ATF's corrupt and vile leadership of the HR Department and Melanie Stinnett's angels Helen Oates, Diane Filler, Kim Sanchez and Chris Kopeck (Bosely). On the outside, they are very nice and personable. On the inside, they are some of the ruthless and meanest in ATF. These are the the hitwomen (Helen, Diane, and Kim) and a hitman (Kopeck). These folks are the ones responsible for you being taken off the Best Qualified List even if you made it fair and square. These are the folks that support management's pre-selection of candidates. They make sure that contractor's are selected for jobs when management wants to keep them. They can't mass hire any jobs because they want to pre-select all positions with the people they want and not the Best Qualified. These are the folks that will hook things up so that upper management's and even their sons and daughters get on the job. These are the folks that will recruit at a minority college or university and direct majority applicants to the college to be recruited and not select one minority. Have you looked at any of the graduating classes at FLETC lately? LITTLE TO NO DIVERSITY!! Upper management wonders why ATF is in the state it is in.... When the BQL stands for who I like and there is no committment to the Merit Promotion principles, qualifications, equal employment opportunity (did I say that), fairness, diversity, ethics, and integrity, you end up with the mess that we are in. This is tragic, pathetic, disgusting, immoral, illegal and sad. This agency is going to hell in a hand basket, I say, when it should be at its peak with all of the added responsibilities and great investigations that we conduct. I call for an 1811 class action law suit against ATF and all of these illegal and prohibited practtces so that if we are going to go out, we go out in style and break the bank. If we are to be disbanded, let it be on our terms and because we caused it. It should not be caused by ATF's pathetic, poor and/or lack of leadership. I do hope officials of the Justice Department read this and take action. Investigation continues... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 2, 2009 10:00 AM It has been the position across the board for years now that the Agents are the problem and this precipitates bulldozing them under the bus wholesale. Its not Torres, Martin, Newell, Obrien, Logan, Krenshaw,Ford, Loos, Bouman, Richardson, Gillette, ITS THE HUNDREDS OF AGENTS UNDER THEM. Talk about leading from the rear. Immediate ATF response to the hundreds of complaints, EEOC,OSC, OIG, WE MUST TIGHTEN UP ON THESE AGENTS, IT MUST BE SOMETHING THEY ARE DOING BECAUSE IT COULDN'T BE US. News flash Mr. Director and Deputy Director, Garbage in, Garbage out. You don't start accountability with the secratarys and work your way up. Mr. Holders has received scores of reports of unethical conduct within the highest levels of ATF. This is not and will not go away until ethical and professional conduct starts at the Director and works it way down. We attempted to resolve many of the issues that have plagued ATF with Director Melson and Billy Hoover man to man, old school. They must come to realize, hostility breeds hostility. There are more of US (field employees who are actually still doing the job) then there are of them. All field Agents are encouraged to submit your comments to AG Holder comment box, file formal EEOC, OSC and OIG complaints when and where they are supported by fact. One day the field will have a say so in this Bureaus future and a dialogue with ATF HQ. Then the COMSTAT sellin, press conference holding, hide in the shadows, and rely on Chief Counsels office to save you from your bad decisions Bosses will go away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder replied to comment from 007 November 2, 2009 3:22 AM I agree entirely with your comment regarding agents being mature enough to handle the responsibilities and ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ity related to management, especially when they have not been in the field long enough to wipe their nose. The real tragedy in all of this is how the agency is victimized over and over and over. The agency is victimized with the selection of these inexperienced supervisors,the continuous bad judgment of the selecting officials and upper mangement, and the decisions that these inexperienced supervisors will make. These supervisors for the most part become the attack dogs or hitmen and hitwomen of mid to upper management. If they want someone to get hammered, these are the supervisors that will do it in return for favorable consideration in a future applications, assignments, or reassignments. This is why some people feel entitled to an Outstanding evaluation, entitled to a QSI and entitled to a promotion. This is how the Good Old Boy network works. This is simply unacceptable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: 007 replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder November 1, 2009 10:02 AM Where to begin? Great guy, and potentially great neighbor Mike Oneil was a GS 14 over the NIBIN branch and had 8 yes you heard it 8 years on the job. A simple equation: It is probably not a good idea to promote EVER when at the end of a 25-30 career, the promoted one would have spent MORE than half of their career in management. Bare minimum should be the 10/10 rule. Our Agents are not even close to being fully developed before the 10 year mark. Then the Agency should benefits from those years of experience by relying on these Senior Agents. Then and only then should the be allowed to compete for their jobs. Vido : uninspiring asleep at the wheel. He lasted barely one year in SFFD because nobody else wanted it, and he just left it on auto pilot until he had a meltdown in the office and they sent him to a less stressful field division. Gleysteen: a couple years working an arson squad, enough yes sirs and nice suits to catapult him to early greatness. Prime example of whats wrong and how it happened to our Bureau. Clearly explains the 50+ I dont know/Idont recalls in one deposition. It was the TRUTH He doesnt know much of anything about this Bureau or its people. Gillette, Newell lack any sense of what is going on in their division and more importantly dont care. They have generated so many internal disputes due to their lack of leadership that the entire field division is said to be near mutiny. The settlements alone paid on their watch would pay for major case funding for the rest of the year. Too be continued. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 1, 2009 8:43 AM With regard to Mark Logan reeceiving his Master's.... It does not matter how many degrees he has. He could have a Doctorate in Physics, Splitting Atoms, Molecular DNA and (or) Rocket Science for that matter. In the manner that he has lead TPD and represented ATF for the last seven years, not only demonstrates his incompetence, it also demonstrates that he is dumb and one of the "Good Old Boys"! (Yep the Good Old Boys are alive and well in ATF and are sending this agency to hell in a hand basket.) This is the only way that Mr. Logan could rise to the top in the manner that he has. He does not have the skill set and his public speaking is embarrassing. You know there is an old cliche that simply says "Shit floats!" This may be his explanation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder November 1, 2009 5:17 AM On November 15, 2009, there is to be an announcement related to the latest game of musical chairs at HQ. It sounds like the Acting Director will be leaving on November 16, 2009. If he is unable to stay as Deputy Director, Mr. Melson will have no other choice but to exit ATF HQ. It is being said that Billy Hoover wants to go back to being the SAC of WFD. It is also being said that the next Director of ATF will be a female from the outside. I too remember the rumor of Mr. Traver declaring that he was on the shortlist for the Director post due to being in the same geographical area as the current President, when he was a Senator. What arrogance on the part of Mr. Traver! Since Mr. Traver is not a female from the outside, I doubt he is the next Director of ATF. Although he is qualified, he does know how to lie on the stand in federal court, which is a pre-requisite for executive management. Investigation continues...