Archived Comments: 07/2009

Author: Road Warrior July 29, 2009 2:34 PM “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are and your reputation is merely what others think you are.” UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 29, 2009 12:40 PM Submitted by: Marine For Life I have come to learn that Agent Cefalu, who was attacked on the witness stand last week BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT and an ATF AGENT was a Marine for six years, was meritoriously promoted, and received three Meritorious Masts. This is virtually unheard of. Marines will serve twenty-year careers without receiving any meritorious Masts. What many do not understand is that the word of a Marine is above all else. The lies and mischaracterizations used against this Marine/Agent will not hold up. This type of ‘back-stabbing’ conduct appears to be acceptable by our government and commonplace in ATF. Fight On Mr. Cefalu. In addition to the truth you have a God who will protect you from the challenges to your word and Code of Honor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 27, 2009 11:11 AM Submitted by: Newcomer Hey “New Orleans” join the club. The ATF Nation feels your pain. L.A. has Torres, who has managed with fear for a decade and is the model of insecurity (PS: Harper was mentored by Torres in Phoenix). N.O. ASAC Lowry was/is a joke. He’ll be a SAC soon. Philly has Potter (forever known as the ‘Homework SAC’) who left the Atlanta ASAC job as one of the most despised supervisors ever in ATF. Houston has Webb who got caught up in so much ineptness in DC they just had to send him somewhere (which was home for him – one of the perks of being in the club). Domenech goes totally power corrupt as the DD but still “gets his” by suing ATF, getting a nice cash payday and a resume’ building war college gig. Prediction: He’ll be out of ATF with some cherry job within months after he completes his CV building class. Martin drives San Francisco into the ground but escapes to HQ before his division goes into total mutiny. So much for the West Point leadership training. Crenshaw leaves Seattle hated, takes over the Office of Professional Review and is now being investigated by his own staff for his arrogant “the rules don’t apply to me” attitude. Ford gets caught lying to Congress. Maybe he should issue a “no comment” statement on that through one of his cronies. Bouchard, McLemore, Gordon all get to make copies and fill the Directors paperclip holder and dust his desk as the “Special Assistant” before they are fired. Vito, Gleysteen, Downs, Martin have SF agents resigning at a record setting pace. Newell and Gillette are simply asleep at the wheel in Phoenix. Look up the word ‘Disrespected’ in Webster’s and their pictures are next to it. Stankewitz is under the gun for trying to get in the pants of a new agent. Richardson lies to OSC to cover for himself (or maybe all the agents who gave conflicting statements were lying and he was telling the truth?) and oversees the PRB. Chicago’s leaders have broken the world’s record for saying “No” to investigative operations, although they are quick to tell you about all the cool ops they worked on as agents. Chief Counsel’s office tried to frame ATF Agents in New Mexico for selling and using drugs but when they got caught red-handed, claimed it was “an oversight”. D’Alesiso is out as the “King of Undercover” after he tore up his motorcycle on an un ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author:ized assignment. Chase spends all of his time in Montana. He didn’t go to Denver to be the SAC, he went there to get close to home and retire on the job. Horace, well, Horace is Horace. Enjoy the “leadership”, New Jersey. Miami’s Barerra has an agent in jail for protecting the public and now a year later, ATF makes a move and pulls agents from the VI? Kneejerk react to the small stuff but drag your feet on the real issues…it’s the ATF way. But Melson, Hoover and Carter all keep telling us that “morale is great” and that “we are leading the way for law enforcement”. Check this, New Orleans is but a snapshot for all of ATF and as long as all these guys keep telling us "everything is great", then everything is “great”. What they say goes. Headquarters doesn’t want solutions, they want the field employees to shut up. You ask any of those mentioned and they will tell you that morale is great, their division is the most productive it has ever been, and that this it has to be due to their “command presence”. This is not about me. Can’t be. Guess what. It is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Career13 July 26, 2009 11:17 PM The Rudderless Ship in New Orleans . . . When is ATF HQ going to grow a set and send someone (SAC) to New Orleans that is not looking to just get their ticket punched and truly take a stand for the men and women who serve there. SAC Harper just retired - but you would never know it as he was either never there and barley spoke to his ASAC's let alone his troops. Seemed he was trying to snag another transfer back to the puzzle palace so he can be with his new wife who used to work for ATF in HQ. So you can't really support your troops and call a baby ugly if needed? Likely not, as you might rock the boat that PCS's you. One of the two ASAC's just got whacked to HQ . . Leaving a lone ASAC and Acting DOO at the helm with limited resources and manpower. Morale and a lack of leaderrship is at an all time low! Rumor has it former New Orleans ASAC Bob Browning has his ticket in the hat. Is that the same ASAC Bob Browning that just a day after Hurricane Katrina ordered ALL of his Agents out of New Orleans because it was "too dangerous!" Unlike mutual funds, unfortunately past performances are likely indicators of what they will get. New Orleans needs a SAC that WANTS to be in New Orleans and WANTS to be a leader and WANTS to make decisions. Let's see who they send there now . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 26, 2009 2:09 PM Submitted by Chuck Norris: Who is tracking was is happening “real time” in Fresno, California? I am. I am talking about the Robert Holloway / Road Dog Cycles investigation and prosecution. Here is where it starts: ATF Agent Vince Cefalu is conducting an investigation into a one-time cop (Holloway) who owns a motorcycle shop and is associating with criminals. Cefalu is working as a part of a task force made up of other ATF agents and State and Local police officers. The task force has sent undercover ATF agents in on the suspects. A few members of the task force also want to wiretap the suspect. Cefalu and the ATF Agents resist by arguing that the wiretap plan is premature and asking for time to play out their technique (undercover infiltration). Here is where it turns: A couple members of the task force named Armadaras, Bunch and Gallager made an end-run on the ATF Agents, specially Cefalu, and approach ATF management. They bad-mouthed the ATF investigative plan and ran-down Cefalu on a personal level. As it appeared in court on Friday (yes, I was present) the revolting task force members threw sticks and stones at Cefalu. If the court documents and testimony are accurate the turn-coat cops used elementary school name calling by telling ATF’s bosses they didn’t like Cefalu’s personality; he cusses too much; smokes too much; his hair and beard are messy; etc. (A funny comment was made in the back of the courtroom when someone whispered loud enough for the back two or three rows to hear, “Are we talking about cops or priests?”) Here is where it gets stupid: ATF management chooses to side AGAINST (!) Cefalu and their agents and in favor of the rogue wiretap plan. Cefalu’s resume was entered into evidence and it would appear that as a 23-year veteran of ATF he has established a track record of knowing how to investigate. ATF management was sold by the outsiders and immediately removed Cefalu from the investigation. ATF shortly thereafter pulled out their undercover agents and affectively ended ATF’s participation in the case. Here is where it gets nasty: Cefalu reports to ATF that the task force is planning an illegal shortcut to wiretap Holloway. ATF retaliates against Cefalu for challenging their decisions and attempts to transfer him 5 different times. First they threaten to transfer him to Fargo, North Dakota figuring that would shut anyone up. It doesn’t. ATF then threatens to transfer him to Washington, D.C. but they had no success on muzzling him. ATF attempts to fire him but that fails and he retains his job. Ultimately they transfer him from Modesto to San Francisco and make him a desk jockey. Cefalu contacts various government oversight agencies and Congress, specifically Senator Diane Fienstien. Now here is where it gets questionable: The wiretap of Holloway is activated and results in a Federal RICO indictment, arrest, incarceration and hearings of Holloway and his associates. The defense team realizes that something is askew as the evidence does not appear to match the charges while members of the task force are internally being relieved of duty for alleged ethics violations. Here is where it goes public: Last Friday the defense attorneys for Holloway called Cefalu to testify. It appeared they did so not so much for their client but, rather for a truthful account of what took place behind the scenes. Cefalu appeared to reluctantly take the stand. His testimony is compelling. It is easy to see why his peers may have been intimidated. He is confident, self-assured and strong in his positions and opinions and “matter of fact” with his recollections. His recitation of the facts was insightful. Cefalu told a story of wanting to investigate Holloway on behalf of ATF but wanting to do it “the right way”. The prosecution, normally Cefalu’s supporters, attempted to discredit a veteran agent but seemed to trip and stumble over their own questions and witnesses. They tried to paint Cefalu as a disgruntled agent. The government spent less time on the Holloway facts and more time discussing their personal feelings toward Cefalu. It appeared that Cefalu was on trial and not Holloway. One ATF Agent named Agent Downer, Cefalu’s boss at the time of his removal from the case and the retaliations against him, even testified against his own guy. Downer was providing answers going down the “I don’t know and I don’t recall” road but the judge cut him off. Here is where we learn more: Next week the hearing continue. The government is trying to sell the judge that they did things the right way; the defense arguing that the cops cheated driven by overriding hatred for Holloway. I am not an attorney, I just play one the internet but, I am a person with average intelligence. Based on what I have heard and read the government got out over their skiis on this one. Cefalu told ATF and Congress about the investigation and got attacked and demoted for it. Cefalu cited facts and a timeline the government cited Cefalu’s personality. Unless I am totally off-base or the government has the smoking gun, the government cut corners to get Holloway and destroyed Cefalu because he told the truth. One of the most telling events took place outside the courtroom. An honest police officer approached Cefalu. Neither person appeared to know the other. As Cefalu smoked a cigarette the officer shook Cefalu’s hand and said, “Thank you for doing that. That had to be the hardest thing you have ever had to do on this job. You told the truth and those of us who carry a badge respect that.” Here are a couple links to related newspaper stories...you be the judge: http://m.modbee.com/...&ps=6&full=true http://m.modbee.com/...&ps=6&full=true ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Dept of Just Ice replied to comment from Marshall Plan July 26, 2009 1:56 PM I appreciate your point of view and your obvious professional military education. The bottome line in any organization or relationship is the Golden Rule. Treat others as you would have them treat you. That goes a long way in every situation. When that does not work. You use a legitimate IA section that does not send offender's friends down to investigate complaints and the legal division should uphold the law, not cover for for the wrong doers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Dept of Just Ice July 26, 2009 11:25 AM As an ex-ATF agent who told the truth, I wish my ATF instructors at the academy would have winked and stomped their foot right after they said, "you are required by agency policy to report allegations of wrong doing." They also should have had a sign in the room that said we really do not want you to tell the truth-we just have to say we do. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) attorney who told me that he made the decision to not investigate my allegations. The most ironic reason he did not want to investigate one of my allegations which states my RAC told me that, ...I would be dead if I called Internal Affairs. Since I did not call IA at that point, he could not have fulfilled his threat. What do you think would happen to you if you told your GS or RAC the he would be dead if …. I think the government is wasting tax dollars at the OSC if they are going to hire people who use that type of logic. ATF IA and the DOJ OIG did not investigate it either. Also if you think about reporting any wrong doing to ATF IA, you and any of your witnesses should be prepared for the possibility to have a case opened up on you and your witness. They will at the bare minimum try to "sling mud" at you if you sling mud. I learned the hard way when the IA investigator told me he went up to interview a couple of AUSAs to get dirt on me. The ATF IA investigator was also a good buddy and former co-worker of my old group supervisor to "investigate my complaint." The IA guy was offended by my memo reporting the wrong doing to the point I had to call his boss to request that this IA guy be removed from my case. ATF IA left him to try and do me. My GS claimed in sworn testimony that he was not friends with the IA SA. The IA SA claimed in sworn testimony that he considered himself friends with my GS. The same IA SA did not investigate the harassing text messages I received on both my personal and work cell phones. The IA SA did not perform an investigation into his buddy/my GS or any of the TF agents who allegedly did wrong. The RAC admitted in sworn testimony the he called me fa**ot on multiple occasions but he was only joking. The ASAC gave me a letter of caution for asking the SAC to help me out with retaliation from my RAC, GS, and ASAC. They threatened my life, career, and denied me a transfer, training, military duty, my application to the SRT, my application to become a PI, home leave, a hardship transfer and more. They are still on the job. The government will apparently allow you to commit perjury and other federal offenses if you are a supervisor in ATF. People in Washington point their fingers at local police departments for alleged wrong doing but don't do a damn thing about corruption at the Federal level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 24, 2009 12:28 PM Submitted by: Rowdy I can make the solution even simpler. If you violate a policy or order you receive internal discipline. If you sexually harass, retaliate against whistleblowers, violate the EO laws you get demoted. If you commit felonies you get fired and face prosecution. No exceptions. Insist on independent review of internal affairs investigations. Place GS13 agents with no record of discipline on the professional review board. Set up a legal section with attorneys for agents just like managements chief counsel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster replied to comment from Thor God of Thunder July 22, 2009 11:24 AM Former DD Domenech was so outraged at the mismanagement and the future of the Bureau that he was compelled to act at great risk to his career. Fact one, he did it anonymously. Fact two he didnt say word one until he was run out for disloyalty. Fact 3 You have not heard word one of his big whistleblower complaint since he got paid. Wow miraculous fix. The abuses are gone Bureau all better. Guess Domenech never was out to cleanup this place and just wanted his money. The war college? Pleeeeeeeease. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder July 22, 2009 3:55 AM I am surprised that we have not seen the ASAC Tom Stankiewcz from Philadelphia, who is alleged to be engaged in sexual harrassment of a subordinate female superviosr. Is he an idiot or what? These are the types of people that ATF promotes. Another loser!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Thor God of Thunder July 22, 2009 3:52 AM Edgar Domenech is as guilty of the so-called "prohibited personnel" actions against him that he purported to be a victim of. After he got his $50k or more settlement, that included an assignment to the War college, you have not heard much from him and he has not snitched lately. So it never was about exposing corruption in ATF and saving this sinking Bureau. It was all about Edgar getting his. ATF is better without him in such a significant deputy director role. Loco deputy director, esta loco!!! This is the same guy that thought he should be King of ATF. Yea right!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Marshall Plan July 18, 2009 2:41 PM Confronted by difficult personalities in his administration, President Truman once pondered in great frustration “How can the country that produced Generals Marshall, Eisenhower and Bradley also have produced General Custer, MacArthur and Patton?” I think I can simplify the answer: not everyone has the same motive for pursuing advancement. All of the aforementioned generals took words look duty, country, service and honor seriously, but the first set of generals were balanced and they steadily improved their skills over a lifetime. They cared about morale AND accountability. There are many expressions that reflect their values: “Mission first, people always.”; “Number one—TAKE CARE OF THE TROOPS, Number two--GET THE JOB DONE.”; “Motivate the troops and provide resources!”; “There are no bad followers, only bad leaders!” and “Leaders do not have the luxury of morale problems—leaders must make their own morale.” Above all the good generals never lost the common touch. They always put the welfare of the troops first. They enforced strict discipline, but they did not pleasure in it. Discipline was necessary for the efficiency of the service and to maintain the order. Yet discipline was fair. Those punished for their misdeeds often respected their sentences and were, more often than not, sorry they let their bosses down. Now the later group of generals were brave, brilliant, patriotic and highly capable, but their motives were quite different. They lusted for power and prestige. They hungered for glory. The coveted the privileges of their rank and power…and all of the trimmings that came with it. They lacked humility. They wouldn’t admit mistakes. They surrounded themselves with lackeys and toadies. They took all of the credit. They blamed the troops or civilian leadership for their failures. They feathered their nests. How many of our current executives does this sound like? Look at the staffing chart, take out a red pencil and go down the list. With my genuine respect, our good executives can sleep sound, but they have few peers to confer with. Conversely, the weak leaders have been to the best management schools, have read the best books and claim to have the best heroes, role models and mentors…but behave in the “180 degree” opposite fashion. They probably think this message is for someone else…or that this assessment is of no value or relevance. Nobody is perfect. None of the good generals were perfect. No agency is perfect. There are truly no greener pastures. The truth is all we in government organizations can hope for is that the majority of our leaders and executives are motivated by taking care of the troops and getting the job done with the available resources (even 51% of our leaders in this category would be acceptable). Unfortunately we are confronted with a situation where the solid leaders are not the majority. Put simply, we have a leadership crisis. As a first line supervisor I am willing to do my part, but reform MUST trickle from the top on down. Bad executives cannot ask me to cover for them—our troops are educated, experienced, intuitive, and street wise—they can see right through the veil. I am tired of agency-wide morale issues being delegated to me. I am most happy in my work when I am given to a mission greater than myself with the backing of my managers, but this is becoming a rarer and rarer occasion. Is it such a mark of disgruntlement to say that I want to be inspired and supported by my executives? It is a dangerous world out there. I have proven the ability to confront the bad guys, support the case makers, give the briefings, write the SIRs, handle the paperwork, and plan the Christmas parties (and for longer than 18 months before running off to Headquarters)…but I am asking for balanced executives who can motivate with words, deeds and common sense. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not an impossible request. We are perfectly capable of righting the ship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 17, 2009 11:26 PM Submitted by: Trooper Hey 99 New York Avenue Washington D.C., since you’re confused on what to do with the management abortion you have created here are 10 easy-to-follow tips I have come up with: 1. Settle your bad business. You own it, so settle it. 2. Assume some personal accountability. If you are the leaders of the agency then being a great leader means you own what happens during your command. It doesn’t mean you approve of it or like it. 3. Get rid of the bad managers. No need to fire them, most don’t deserve that. Just put them somewhere where they can’t damage ATF and hinder investigations. Just use your ‘McLemore Plan’ as precedent. 4. Lay down a law of conduct to your AD’s, DAD’s, SAC’s, ASAC’s and GS’s. Tell them that the mistreatment of your employees is going to stop, or else. When they refuse to follow that instruction, then you can fire them. 5. Stop protecting your managers failures and mistakes. Hold them accountable for what they say and do. When you hide them, cover for them, keep them out of jail and defend them you add to our perception of their guilt. 6. Stop bullying your employees for bringing problems to your attention. Not every single complaint is made by a disgruntled employee. That excuse don’t fly. You have raised a culture of heavy-handed management and only you can stop that. If you feel that the agent is always wrong then just stop reading now. 7. Rein in Chief Counsels office. Who runs ATF? You or the attorneys? They are embarrassing you. 8. Clean house in OPRSO. You have allowed those managers and investigators to conduct bad investigations. 9. Own the errors of those you have selected. You picked these people. Don’t act like they went bad somewhere along the way AFTER you promoted them. Most your problems were seen and known to all before they ever got the next ‘move up job’. 10. Do something. Please. Your inaction and hesitancy at every turn is very unflattering. You are not displaying what the field needs to see. Put ATF as an agency and your employees before yourself. Look up the definition of ‘servant leadership’. It is a trait of all great leaders but remember, saying it means nothing to us. We no longer listen to what you say, we watch what you do. Or... ATF looks bad in the eyes of the public and to other elements of government. If you can’t find the fortitude necessary to do what needs to be done then admit that you’re in over your head and step aside to let someone else try. What you are doing, and some times more importantly not doing is killing us as an agency. I spent 4 years in the military, 2 as a state trooper and 4 years with another federal agency. All law enforcement agencies have problems. Some more, some less. But, ATF is in the saddest state of mismanagement I have personally ever seen or heard of and you people at the top are the only ones who can do anything about it. Don’t let your legacy be a retirement statement that ‘I did the best I could’. Excuses are for those who have failed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: getemout11 July 17, 2009 10:45 AM Kudos to all of you for standing up and peaking up. In light of the OIG report on the former SAC of the Atlanta FD, anyone and everyone facing or having been subject of any adverse decision since the investigation of that SAC has recourse. ATF Office of Inspection, what the hell are you officials doing...? ATF Office of Chief Counsel, what the hell are you officials doing...? And you ATF division heads, sacs and supervisors, what the hell? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU...!!! How can you sleep at night in the face of such blatant ethical misconduct. It's just a matter of time before Congress, Eric Holder and the media address bureau-wide gross misconduct by management and Office of Chief Counsel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Road Warrior July 16, 2009 10:45 AM ATF is institionally inclined to retaliate against whistleblowers and those filing complaints. Always have been, always will be. Ill equiped managers can only manage through threats and intimidation because they are not trained to address conflict early on. If what "Prophet" says is true (and I believe that it is) then any employee who was disciplined behind a Professional Review Board finding while Marvin Richardson has been the Chief, has had to battle unethical tactics used by the Chief Counsels office, or has been investigated by Internal Affairs resulting in an innacurate report while Chase, Crenshaw or Sanchez have been in charge needs to immediately appeal those disciplines, tactics or conclusions to ATF, the MSPB, the ELRB or the EEOC. The standards expected of these gentlemen needs to exceed that of others, not fall below. If they are lying during investigations, fabricating evidence, approving corrupt investigations and/or engaged in unethical conduct they should never have been allowed to oversee judgement of others or removed from their posts as soon as those allegations were made. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 15, 2009 5:21 PM From: The Prophet Signs are that the ATF Apocalypse is near. ATF’s upper-tier is being called to a public exposure, a reckoning if you will, for their actions and decisions. Ridiculous personnel decisions that mock common sense are surfacing at CleanUp.org at an alarming rate, each more incredible than the last. Momentum is now on the side of justice, having turned from the purveyors of the art of cover-up. It is not the agents who, to use HQ lingo, “Don’t get the big picture”, nor is it the field operators that have put ATF in this precarious position. It is the ridiculous selections, promotions and protections that ATF’s leadership have subjected the agency to. Executive rats guilty of harboring and covering for their guilty peers are running away to private industry jobs, and those left to fix their follies are caught frozen in the headlights. Well, move off the tracks or get run over because the agent-train no longer has any brakes. Here’s a short-list of some publicly known management blunders that have caused ATF’s street agents to collectively shake their heads (you know who you are and so do we). • Ex-Director Truscott starts ATF’s slide by corruptly guiding ATF towards ruin. How many SAC’s jumped when Carl came to town, setting up security details, nodding and smiling, “What a nice tie you have on, Mr. Truscott”. Did you notice that I comb my hair exactly like you do?” Truscott feathered his nest in a time of fiscal struggles when Agents were doing without current ballistic vests, operational cars, or adequate funding to conduct investigations. You SAC’s watched, supported and participated in it, but saved your complaints only for Starbucks. • The ex- ex- Deputy Director stepped up (kind of) but had a ‘karma like’ reversal of fortune. He was just one rung away from the top of the ATF ladder, yet was still so fearful of reprisal that he had to anonymously whistleblow on his boss to avoid, in his own words, ‘committing career suicide’. Unfortunately for him, he was nevertheless exposed as the complainant and demoted 3 levels. Too bad, so sad. ATF loves to come after the person making the allegation instead of investigating the allegation itself. ATF’s ‘Kill the Messenger’ strategy is in full effect. For the record, reprisals against whistleblowers are illegal. Just because you were a victim doesn’t mean you’re not guilty of the same thing, E.D. • A SAC is proven to have spent his time doing homework for the Director’s nephew. What? Again, what?!? One more time, WHAT??? How embarrassing. No fix from the agency? WHAT??? • A SAC under the influence of alcohol tears up multiple government vehicles yet keeps getting promoted and landing cherry executive positions. Note: If this is not true, just say so (but be ready to face the evidence). • An ASAC with a track record of outrageously incompetent decisions is promoted to SAC and promptly (while on duty) misplaces his government car while supporting “Single Moms” (i.e. Strippers). What was done about that? • A SAC is caught lying to investigators and committing other serious crimes, yet is shielded from scrutiny and prosecution by headquarters until eligible for retirement (and while collecting full per diem as “Special Assistant to the Director”). The SAC comfortably retired but not before being publicly adored on ATF’s website as a ‘trailblazer’, ‘mentor’ and ‘visionary’. • A SAC massively destroys a field division by targeting illegal reprisals against whistleblowers and firing agents leading the voluntary mass exodus of employees, yet is protected by an ATF ‘shell game’ (swapping his old position for a new headquarters role). His designated hatchetman is now in line to be one of ATF’s newest SAC’s. • An Assistant Director in Charge of Public and Governmental Affairs openly and repeatedly lies to members of Congress. Nothing more needs to be said at this time. If this is not accurate then once again, just say so but be prepared to publicly refute the evidence. • An ASAC is forced to resign in disgrace in the face of mountains of EEOC complaints. A year after the dust settles, ATF seeks him out to represent the agency on a national television program! Way to go, Public and Government Affairs! You guys are really on the ball (sarcasm). • A group of SAC’s engage in a conspiracy to obstruct justice by attempting to prevent an ATF expert from testifying in an FBI Rico-Murder trial, all based on malicious and vindictive personal feelings that they allowed to override the cause of justice. Why has ATF chosen to pretend that this didn’t happen? Save the lame excuses. We know what this was about. • After the entire management chain (RAC to Director) failed to investigate death threats against an Agent, they were publicly called-out by two independent oversight agencies. However, no corrective actions were taken by senior executives, and the same field managers were left in place to repeat the identical mistakes against the same agent/victim. The second time, they did a much better (worse) job of it. • Standard ATF procedure is as follows: Deny, deny, deny, deny; make counter allegations to protect failures; try to mitigate accountability through threats and intimidation; and, discredit ‘eyes on’ accounts of the gaffe. In the end, some ‘bottom feeder’ agent will likely be left to take the blame for you. It is the ATF way. Good luck. • An ASAC became aware of death threats against an agent outside his division. He turned his back to the situation and relied on the excuse that the threatened agent was “not in his division” and therefore “not his problem”. ATF’s “fix”: The ASAC was rewarded with the “Stupervisor of the Year” trophy and promoted to a position of even greater influence. • An ASAC was caught blatantly lying to federal investigators while attempting to elude credible allegations of gross mismanagement. ATF’s “fix”: The offender was simply promoted to a position that oversees and administers ATF’s Professional Review Board (the disciplinary “Star Chamber” that judges alleged wrongdoing on the part of agents!!! You can’t make this stuff up. • Evidence surfaced that ATF Attorneys fabricated documents designed to frame agents, tampered with witnesses by coaching management testimony, helped to destroy evidence, and further violated their legal code of ethics by providing safe haven to compromised managers under bogus claims of “attorney-client privilege”. Many times, those same attorneys defended agency managers with the unavoidable knowledge that their clients were guilty as sin. Numerous settlements, payouts and legal victories against them prove this. We all know that the ATF Chief Counsel’s office is really “Management Counsels Office”. How often do ATF Attorneys ever take up for an agent wronged by a boss? Never. How often do they represent for a boss accused of wrongdoing by an agent? Always. Looking into this ATF? No, I didn’t think so. Why bite the hand that loyally defends your bad acts even when you are wrong? Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare to reap the whirlwind on this one. • DOJ, OIG, OSC, and Congressional leaders all come in to ATF’s house to help clean up. The national media watches and reports. Does ATF care? Not even a flinch as management continues on a path of failure. • The ex-Assistant Director of Internal Affairs (who was late provided a retirement transfer to his personal garden spot) and SAC of Internal Affiars, not only permitted but supported their subordinates’ decision to conduct one-sided, cover-up investigations aimed at protecting their ATF peers and bosses from serious allegations. In doing so, they knowingly whitewashed serious ATF wrongdoings. When an independent oversight agency investigated identical allegations, widespread abuses were uncovered in direct contrast to ATF’s internal “review”. Is there any accountability for ATF’s failure here? Has anyone been asked to address why such a fraudulent “investigation” was approved by ATF’s Internal Affairs? Were any corrections ever put in place to prevent this from happening again? No, No and…No. ATF management apparently believes that if they just ‘baton down the hatches, the storm will always blow over. • And now, hot off the presses: Credible allegations have surfaced that the ATF’s Assistant Director of Internal Affairs, hand-picked by ATF’s top field commanders from the pool of all of ATF’s managers, is now under outside investigation for serious alleged misconduct. This is the person directly responsible for guiding ATF’s internal investigations and reviews, overseeing fairness and ethics, and ensuring that ATF employees adhere to law, policy and order! If this was joke, it might be funny, but it isn’t a joke and it is anything but entertaining. How is it possible that the leadership of a federal law enforcement agency can so consistently make the wrong choice? Remember your online ethics training? We agents were taught that ‘Perception is reality.’, and that if you are even perceived by the public to be engaged in wrongdoing, you are compromised. The old saying, “The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing” doesn’t quite fit at ATF, where the right hand doesn’t even know what the right is doing. The day of reckoning is here. If you want to ramp up on employees, send Internal Affairs strike force teams out to investigate minor and often anonymous allegations against your own people, then rest assured that NONE of you are going to get a free pass without an in-depth examination of what you do and what really takes place behind the scenes during your backroom strategy discussions. ATF management’s refusal to conduct any self-evaluation or self-imposed oversight forced we, the taxpayers, civilians and agents, through this website and any other means available, to do it FOR you, until you decide to get it right. There is only one way to resolve all of this…fix your old problems in the right way and find or assign someone with the courage to put an end to the one-sided mistreatment of your employees. Until that happens, the situations before you will NOT be forgotten nor go away as they always have for you in the past. **** ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 14, 2009 9:19 AM Submitted by Dream Weaver Here is one for you to add to your list of ATF urban legends. A supervisor in the southeast used her government credit card to buy a bunch of furniture, allegedly to decorate her office. No problem, until they find most of it furnishing her home. Oops! She got a short time-out to the D.C. Puzzle Palace, and low and behold, is now back in the field AS A SUPERVISOR! The reason I wrote this is because I once filled the tank of my G-sled and accidentally paid for it with my personal credit card. When I tried to get reimbursed for the fuel I bought for the government, I caught a letter of reprimand. Go figure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 12, 2009 3:08 PM Submitted by: PerfectStorm Glad to see that the media attention for Jay’s story has moved away from his undercover work and book and is focusing on the poor management of ATF. Newsweek, the Washington Post, CNN, Fox News have moved the struggle out of the shadows and have now made it a mainstream, prime time, news worthy event. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 12, 2009 3:07 PM Submitted by: Robert in Nebraska What is apparent on some of these cases is that ATF, even after discovering their managers have done bad deeds, still continue to defend those actions. This is what surprises me as an outsider. As ATF executives, if somewhere in the process of defending your bureau, you find out that in fact, what you have been defending is wrong or actually occurred, is then time to admit your mistakes and settle your disputes. The ATF attorneys appear as sleazy criminal defense lawyers who know their client committed a murder but defend him anyway and try to find a loophole to get him off. I don’t agree with this but I guess it is understandable in that example. But it is not acceptable or understandable when government attorneys use that same mentality to defend against truthful allegations made by their employees. From what I have heard lately, it does not appear that ATF is above lying to protect themselves either. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster replied to comment from Road Warrior July 10, 2009 2:44 PM Now here's a great response, obviously from an ATF Agent, contrasting the enormous disparity in professional accountability between field agents vs. management. This is a biting parody of an actual sworn deposition given by an ATF Asst. Special Agent-in-Charge of a major Bureau Field Division. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Road Warrior July 10, 2009 1:40 PM ATF: So Special Agent Road Warrior, is your Home-to-Work car report in? Agent: I don't know. ATF: Did you check the right box in your N-Force report? Agent: I don't recall. ATF: Have you met your reporting requirements for documenting your investigative activity within 5 days? Agent: I don't know? ATF: Did you qualify with your firearms this quarter? Agent: I don't recall. ATF: Is your time sheet in? Agent: I don't know. ATF: Did you complete your travel voucher properly? Agent: I don't recall. ATF: How about your credit card reciepts? Agent, Again, I don't recall. ATF: Is your on-line training completed? Agent: I don't recall. ATF: Why are you wearing jeans and tennis shoes? This is outside our dress policy. Agent: I don't know. ATF: When was the last time you changed the oil in your car? Agent: I don't recall. ATF: These answers are unacceptable. I am going to discipline you and try to take your job. Agent: These are the issues that are important to you, not me. They are not under my "area of expertise". I investigate the federal firearms, explosives and arson laws. I confront violent crime suspects. I work long hours and make many personal sacrifices to protect the public I serve. I try to convict criminals and have them incarcerated for their crimes against America. I am an ATF Agent, not a clerk. ATF: That answer is also unacceptable. You are fired! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 8, 2009 3:18 PM Submitted by Back Alley Attorney: The ASAC deposition posted in the "ATF Hall of Shame" section is no surprise. I love the part where he says, “that is not my area of expertise”. Personnel matters are supposed to be an area of expertise for an ASAC. I think I know who this guy is...if I'm correct, he has fired, transferred, disciplined and/or had removed/forced to retire, numerous agents. Therefore, personnel matters ARE an area of expertise for him. Honor, loyalty, ethics and common sense are not. Which brings me to an important point. Taxpayer money is being spent to fund inept managers who rule by fear and then get exposed. That depo is a perfect example of what all of you need to strive for. Depositions and discovery. Then ATF has nowhere to hide. The truth shines a very bright light. Get them on the stand, sworn to an oath of honesty and then let them make the personal decision to lie: "Hmmm...Do I perjure myself and risk my career and freedom....or, do I tell the truth and burn down the house with all my buddies inside?" That is what I like to call being between a rock and a hard place. For most of us, telling the truth comes naturally. For ATF’s managers, it's difficult, and even when it does happen (which is rarely), it's ALWAYS accompanied by deflections, excuses, counter-allegations, or attempts to make someone else "responsible". You don’t win in the media, people...you win in the courtroom or before Congress with sworn testimony, where lies are punishable by incarceration. Ask Scooter Libby, Martha Stewart or Barry Bonds how perjury has worked out for them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: CUATF Webmaster July 7, 2009 9:42 PM From: gunrunner Date: Wed, July 1st, 2009, 20:30 EST Just watched Fox News. Un-F***ing-Believable! Larry Ford has no credibility. ATF caring about Dobyns or any of us is a bold faced lie. Truscott said the same thing. So did Domenech. Then Sullivan and Carter. Next up will be Hoover and Melson. They don’t care about Dobyns or me or any agent. They are fighting to keep the truth from us and lying to us in the process. None of them can take responsibility or admit guilt. They can’t even say we made a mistake or sorry. Do you hear me Newell, Gillette and Higman (where ever you ran off to). They are all cowards who think they can do no wrong. Whether Dobyns’ case makes it into court or not does not mean that we don’t know what you have done. You still are responsible. DOJ can’t save you from the truth! Stop hiding you cowards. I’ll give you the same ultimatum you gave Jay, resign. America has its eyes on you and we are angry. Dobyns is on the point but we are all next. Take a stand out there you silent agents or forever accept what happens to you and keep your mouths shut! Melson is asleep at the wheel. How do you let this continue? Keep your seat warm so the next guy who is an acting-acting-acting Director can fix it! Pathetic is a description too flattering for all of you. From: gunrunner Date: Wed, July 1st, 2009, 20:58 EST Jay, my man, no one has ever called these guys out like you have. I guess they never really took the time to know what you’re about over the past 20 years. You’re dangerous and they’re pussies. Too bad for them. I always looked at you as one of the nicest guys I would ever meet but someone who didn’t give a f**k and would slit your throat if you ever f***ed with his family or friends. The comment Queen made in the post about having it worse than you after his case was an insult. Didn’t you have his six big time when he had his drama? If he did have it worse, which I doubt and cannot even imagine, then he should have stepped up and not left you to fight this fight on your own. It’s a f**k or be f**ed world in ATF. Make sure the liars are on the receiving end for all the rest of us.