Any word on when Mr. Brandon will be reporting to Tampa?

Stop the joke which is the Newark Division and just eliminate it.  Turn all of NJ over to New York.  One less SAC, two less ASAC's, one less DOO, one less Intel Supervisor, one less SOO, one less DTA, one less FIC.  [does Newark have a PIO, while we're at it?  A GS-13 PIO is probably the biggest waste of a -13, especially when any PIO is an idiot.]

 

Put a few more agents back into groups to produce cases; meanwhile, less bosses is always a good idea.

 

While we're at it, get rid of Baltimore too.  Turn it all over to Washington FD.  Again, less bosses, more agents to produce cases.

 

After all, isn't ATF supposed to produce good cases and arrest violent criminals?  Or is it to produce as many SES positions and cushy collateral jobs for a certain few -13's?

 

I remember the day when ATF compared itself to the Marines, while the FBI was like the Army.  Every Marine is a rifleman, and every ATF agent does cases, someone once claimed.  Well, that's not the case any more.  Too many ATF agents who have found themselves a way to get -13 pay without having to do -13 work.

Great thoughts, but after fluffing up all these positions, do you really think they are gonna let them go?. Not the way of the government. They'll make more. HQ has bloated for yrs. We now have 3 GS-14s doing what one GS-13 project officer used to do. Some shops have more 14s than 13s. If GAO ever does a desk audit, about 2/5ths of HQ Agents will be demoted and returned to the field. They used to be there to support us, now its the other way around. 2 ASACs in very field division where historically there was one. If my math serves me, when I came on over 20 years ago we had 2000-2500 Agents and a Approx. 250,000,000 budget. We now have 2000-2500 Agents and a 1.1 BILLION dollar budget. ????????????????????????????????????????

Goodworker, haha, right on - name something that Jones has taken any personal accountablity for?  He has no issue allowing his subordinates to take it for him.  Is that leadership?  How nice would it be to hear him say; I run this agency, I own what we do, the problems that I inherited are now mine to fix?

To accept responsibility, would in fact require Mr. Jones to take action and provide solutions. We dont have a one yr plan, a two yr plan or a 5 yr plan. What does that say to the field. He may be bate and switching our problems from Congress(I doubt it), but the field is watching his EVERY move. Outrageous abuses, continued disputes with field Agents, unwillingness to settle clear cut cases of retaliation. I have been tracking CUATF for years. For the first time, highly respected Agents and Inspectors who truly wanted to save this agency are now lamenting that it may not be able to be saved. This is very sad. I hope they are wrong.

Hilltopper,

That is insane. How is such an environment allowed to thrive in a federal law enforcement agency? It is truly embarrassing. It does go to what we have been chatting about here over the past few days. Not only does the current system allow for Princes of the City at the GS 14 level, but it allows for impenetratable cliques. If the agents who refuse to get along faced being moved to seperate corners of the US at some point in their career, then they would care more about learning how to get along with others. With each passing day, I believe it more and more.

I also would love to see some of the failures in this agency demoted or publicly criticized for bad acts. Instead they are brought into HQ, sometimes with a more impressive title. Then they later reemerge emboldened by their promotion believing that they never screwed up at all. At all pay grades from GS5 to DD, punishment should be swift, fair and equal. It's leadership 101 taught at any NCO school.

And the hits just keep on coming. So Mr. Jones got embarrassed by Chairman Issa about transferring Zapor to Phoenix after failing miserably as SAC Minn. and DAD. So after only 9 months, they are demoting Attaberry and transferring him BACK to Phx. Lets do the math.........3 x $150000 per move for 9 months of performance. And we wonder WHY there is no continuity of leadership. Cudos to Mr. Jones for reversing a bad decision, but the musical bosses has to stop. NO ACCOUNTABILITY because none of these guys stay in one place.

Now add in the Chris Shaffer transfer back to HQ after 9 months in Atl. Same with Sweetow, you have to ask, "IS ANYONE THINKING THESE TRANSFERS THROUGH?" Remember, for all those being transferred with barely a year in place, someone needs to be transferred to back-fill their slots @$150000 per move.

Cleary they eased SAC Torres outta Tampa because Brandon(rumor has it) is leaving the DD slot to retire in Tampa. No demotion below SES, no loss of salary.

This ties in directly to what Heisenberg and Hilltopper are saying.Brandon clearly violated ALL of our standards and his conduct clearly contributed to EVERYONE losing their outside Bureau employment approval by letting Mc Mahon DBL dip. Yet NO PRB for him OR Torres. They allowed them to stay until they were forced to act because of the OIG report and Congressional oversight, and then??????????? They lose NOT ONE STEP. Does beg to question why Brandon would stick around after stepping down 3 levels. Doesn't that necessarily IMPACT his credibility and ability to lead? Guess not.

Mr. Jones thru Mr. Brandons memo suggests they get it. They want to hear from you. These posts should be compiled and sent directly to Director Jones. Unless of course everyone is afraid of reprisals as has been the case for his entire 2 yrs. Its time to clean up this mess Mr. Jones, but obviously listening to your executive staff isn't working or you wouldn't need to keep shuffling these guys. The field will KNOW when you are genuine when you quit protecting incompetents, and demand leadership. Until then, it appears to just be more smoke and mirrors.

Maybe trying to resolve some of these disputes in good faith, slowing the multiple transfers and demanding that your staff does their jobs, will enlist the 5000 field employees support.

Goodworker, If true, that's sad to hear. My experience with those guys was always pleasant, but to be honest I've never judged an agent or boss's character by their paperwork. To me, if they made cases, and put guys in jail as agents, and support their guys who are making cases as bosses, then I'm good with that. Too many of our leaders would not know a case if it fell in their lap. The closest thing they had to a CI was a Fax Machine.

Mr. Jones bragged to Congress that he replaced most of the leadership. NO he didn't. He shifted them. Musical chairs was all. Not one demotion beyond Bill Newell, and he got a sweet deal. The Director protected and is still protecting bad actors. This hurts the good managers and empowers the bad ones.

June 2 is the deadline for Director Jones to respond to a Congressional inquiry regarding the manipulation of the Titanic deck chairs. AGAIN. I predict something along the lines of, "Sirs" due to privacy act regulations we are currently unable to provide exact responses to your inquiries. HOWEVER, rest assured every attempt was made to hold fully accountable Mr. Zapor and Mr. Milanawski. Due to the scheduling of the professional review board. Mr. Zapor announced his retirement before the agency could act. Much like was the case with George Gillette who stayed in full supervisory pay status until the very last minute when he retired. We would like to point out that Mr. Zapor was demoted one level, (although he was transferring home and didnt lose a dime). As for Mr. Milanawski, we made him come back to headquarters AGAIN and basically hoped you didnt notice. We are however aggressively pursuing actions against Jon Dodson, Vincent Cefalu and Jay Dobyns as well as countless other line agents for exposing the acts of your inquiry. As for transferring multiple SES bosses after less than one year in their current positions, we needed to burn up move money before the end of the year. Yes Mr. Atteberry and others are costing the taxpayers Millions in repeated moves, but at this time we are unable to explain why. We hope this satisfies your concerns with the efficient running of ATF.

Did I get it close?

With all the unprecedented shootings in Chicago over the fourth, Why doesn't Mr. Jones and Brandon deploy their supercop Frontline surge program there? A surge by ATF is just the thing to end the gun violence. NOT

Wow. SAC Riehl, ASACs Delvecchio and Coffey are not satisfied running off 30 year veteran and along with 30 years of institutional knowledge. But now have threatened to "holdup" the Agents pension if the Agent does not submit to an exit interview. #1 thats illegal. #2 Its extortion and abusive and the very reason senior Agents are leaving in droves. And FINALLY, I would be careful trying to bully an Agent on their way out the door when they hold the very information that will surely have these 3 immediately relieved of duty. Just sayin fellas. Read your own policies. This Agent does not HAVE TO submit to your stupid exit interview.

Word is Coffey is retiring. That was a short stay in SF. Is this Turks answer to Riehl, and Coffeys coverup and internal non investigation of highly disturbing allegations forwarded directly to HQ and the OIG? The allegations include mishandling of AC funds, and compromising UC operations. Emails will be attached shortly where Turk states "I had no idea".

Has anyone seen ATFs response to Congress that were due yeaterday?

B. Todd and Brandon,

 

Your responses to the questions Congress asked on May 16 are due on Monday.  It will be most interesting to see how you choose to answer regarding the Internal Affairs Division, the Professional Review Board and the Bureau Deciding Official inquiries.

 

"We understand that ATF's Internal Affairs Division typically reviews all complaints and allegations involving ATF personnel and generates a report for ATF's Professional Review Board.  The Professional Review Board then assesses each finding of misconduct and determines whether to propose discipline or adverse action to ATF's deciding official."

 

     -Actual Excerpt from letter:

Congressional Letter Excerpt 05.16.14.jpg

 

congressional-letter-to-atf-5-16-14-2013.pdf

 

I know that you know that I know your dirty little secret.  I am not being coy.  I am not legally allowed to discuss this yet.  Numerous people with insider information and amidst your inner circle know as well.  Can you get all of them on board and organized to cover it up or blame me for it by Monday?  This is a very slippery slope. 

 

You guys have a nice weekend now.

 

J

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS

Can anyone make sense of the spinning promotion/demotion of the SAC who was removed from the Ohio field division. If we are tracking this, Oversight or Sen. Sensenbrenner should expand their inquiry. Congress is closely tracking CLEANUPATF. It has been said, "the media and CLEANUPATF are the only way they know whats going on inside ATF". Scary huh? If we are tracking correctly, this SAC was pulled unceremoniously due to a near mutiny. She was then sent to be SAC in Newark BUT NEVER TOOK THE REIGNS. Where was she and what was she doing? SIDENOTE, she would not have been removed without the efforts of the then Ombudsman. This angered MANY SACs who thought the Ombudsmans office had to much power.

After a period as a no show SAC in Newark, she was made an Assistant Director of HR. The after Cleanupatf OUTTED Mr. Jones for even CONSIDERING keep her as a manager, shes now going BACK to a SAC job in Newark. Is this correct? Is there soemthing thats been left out? You cant make this S@#$ up.

Wow. SAC Riehl, ASACs Delvecchio and Coffey are not satisfied running off 30 year veteran and along with 30 years of institutional knowledge. But now have threatened to "holdup" the Agents pension if the Agent does not submit to an exit interview. #1 thats illegal. #2 Its extortion and abusive and the very reason senior Agents are leaving in droves. And FINALLY, I would be careful trying to bully an Agent on their way out the door when they hold the very information that will surely have these 3 immediately relieved of duty. Just sayin fellas. Read your own policies. This Agent does not HAVE TO submit to your stupid exit interview.

 

Yet ANOTHER New Deputy Director

 

Will Director Jones fire Brandon and Torres for attempting to defraud the American tax payers and protect another one of their peers? Will our already inept management team be re-organized (shuffled to give the appearance of accountability) AGAIN? Or will Director Jones say " I did not know"? Perhaps the simpler question for House Oversight is "WHAT DO YOU KNOW"?

 

To clarify.

The vindictive hand bites one of its own.........AGAIN.

The vacant (Kiss of Death) position of Special Assistant to the Director position is once again filled. This less than prestigious position has previously been filled by those Executive managers who have failed so miserably, that they needed to be sat down in the broom closet pending their imminent retirement. Prior recipients include but are not limited to, Vanessa McLemore, Michael Bouchard, Joe Gordon and Bill Newell. Now add to the list, Richie Marianos. HOWEVER, this particular time out has an interesting twist. Prior recipients were placed in the position for breaking the law, violating major policies and shere incompetence. The story from insiders regarding the senior and decorated Marianos is that he confronted Director Jones personally with what Marianos believed was a total  and across the board lack or leadership on Jones part.

This begs to question: Is Mr. Jones leadership style ONLY to surround himself with YES MEN? And anyone who dissents, EVEN HIS INNER CIRCLE will be dealt with in Kim Jong Un fashion? Sorry Richie. Your loyalties have come into question in recent months. Perhaps you forgot where you came from. BUT, Cudos for having the balls to tell the Director what he needed to hear. If more of the Executive staff did this, we wouldnt be in the embarrasing position we are in today.

And the hits just keep on coming.

http://www.guns.com/...erations-video/

If oversight calls career U/C Agents who have had to do it the "right way", these hearings and OIG investigation is going to send shock-waves thru the NEW ATF. A long time U/C Operator made a statement recently that says it all. "Hell, if we could do all this crazy unethical shit back in the day, we could have tripled our arrests too".

Wondering out loud................What does it say when a Director cant find ONE competent Assistant Director INSIDE ATF to run our Congressional and media affairs? Is that why he canned Marianos? To make room for a friend from DOJ? OR, is he so distrusting of his own Executive staff that he wants to control the SPIN to Congress and the media.

Posted under another topic:

The information on Bouman's conduct is flooding in.  The corruption and cover ups of her across the board activity is out of control.  The people who have participated with her to hide it is going far and wide, up and down throughout the agency.  The best soap opera writer couldn't invent a story as good as this on their best day during their best fantasy.  Jones, you can hide her at the Library of Congress but not for long.  The USS Coverup is leaking bad and taking on water.

I will remind the Director, that the mere APPEARANCE of impropriety says it all. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck etc etc etc.

The attached document is LONG OVERDUE. Apparrently a group of Agents has finally become disguated by the pandering going on within ATF regrding special interest groups. It would appear that a class action is appropriate

READ THE BELOW STORY AND LET THE DIRECTOR AND DD AND ADFO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

With proper leadership and experience, we are as capable as EVER of impacting violent crime and dismantling organizations. Get Chief counsel out of Operations, and stop blaming, vilifying and retaliating against Agents for doing their jobs and you'll be amazed how good our people are.

And the hits just keep on coming. We are opening a convenience store in ATF HQ to sell SWAG, while the Reno Office was virtually closed down because of gross mismanagement. The misrepresentations in this story are sickening. First, for Marvin Richardson to suggest that lack of man power was the reason for F and F is just plain silly and everybody knows its a lie. Not uncommon for Mr. Richardson who was found to have lacked candor on multiple occasions during his interviews with the OIG regarding the Dobyns threat investigation. Was he fired? NOPE, promoted.In fact, the table of penalties was changed almost overnight to remove the mandatory termination penalty to save him.

SAC Riehl, suggests that the Reno agents services were needed elsewhere and that's why Turk, Brandon and Jones decimated the most productive office in the SF field division. HMMMMMM, Im certain it had nothing to do with Both ASACs and the SAC being transferred and forced into retirement for GROSS mismanagement. For Mr. Riehl to make that statement KNOWING its not true, should cause pause at HQ and question why he was promoted to a SAC job at all after the failures under his direct command which led to a scathing indictment by the GAO of our most prestigious program, the NRT.

The NRA is the reason our productivity has tanked and we have to redirect our resources? REALLY? I thought it was because of the ABUSIVE and incompetent management staff between 2005 and present to include Martin, Gleysteen, Herkins, Vind, and Lee and their incompetent and retaliatory practices which caused..wait for it............wait for it........25 Agents in less than 5 years to leave the Agency NOT just the field division when they WEREN'T mandatory. When in our history have you EVER known that many Agents to leave what was once the finest law enforcement agency on the planet?

Unless and until we accept responsibility for our actions which have empowered the NRA and caused us to lose the trust of the American people and fellow law enforcement agencies, we will continue on this downward spiral.Senior agents and supervisors have and are leaving at an alarming rate, taking with them institutional knowledge that can NEVER be recovered. The average level of ATF experience in the San Francisco field Division is under 10 yrs. Who's going to train the newcomers?

 

http://www.sfgate.co...als-4950372.php

Someone should FOIA the ATF chief counsels office and the United States Attorneys Office to see how much they paid to order a psychiatrist FROM L.A. NOT San Francisco to do a psyche eval on SA Cefalu and in attempts to redirect the defense of their actions and reprisals. HUUUUUGGGGEEEEE dollars. The San Francisco United States attorney has spent alot of taxpayer funds to protect corrupt managers.

Draconian is the word you are looking for. How is it????? THAT

Mr. Jones and Brandon do not see the impropriety of Rachel Bouman, being the EEOC Administrative executive director for ATF, WHILE still acting in her capacity litigating cases and advising supervisors in the field. Does he think we are all STUPID? Remember, SHE decides which of your allegations are accepted for investigation. And she is protecting her communications based on Atty Client Privilege. Come On Mr. DIRECTOR.

Mr. Brandon et al. make a HUGE exception to the outside employment agreement for McMahon in exchange for his silence no doubt, but can't make an exception for Jon Dodson after they left him hanging in the wind and in some cases attacked him during Fast and Furious?

How is it that ONE of the first things Mr. Jones did upon taking the helm as the ACTING Director was form a Field Agent Advisory Panel which he touted to the media and Se. Grassley and Chairman Issa, BUT almost instantly upon being confirmed, the previous member are going to be removed and the FAAP as a viable mechanism of communication between the ALL KNOWING HQ Executive staff and the field, is now lame duck and being disregarded completely?

Smoke and Mirrors. Not ALL the threats in the world, not all the free leadership books or playing cards will encourage the field to close the gaps or follow this sort of "leadership". Respect and loyalty are EARNED, NOT demanded.

Bad cases make bad case law. With thugs and gangsters running around shooting up our communities, ATFs leadership somehow thought this case would enhance public safety? This case cleared 3 levels of review inside ATF AND then again by the U.S. Attys Office. SHORT VERSION: RETIRED COP BUYS A GUN AT A BETTER PRICE FOR HIS UNCLE, AND UNCLE REPAYS HIM. VIOLATION? PERHAPS. FEDERAL CRIMINAL INTEREST? YOU DECIDE. I'M REASONABLY CERTAIN A STERN WARNING FROM ATF WOULD HAVE ENDED THE WHOLE MATTER.
http://bearingarms.c...kground-checks/

Word on the street is Sen. Grassleys office and members of Congress are looking into ATF funded junkets to ILEA Bangkok, BY SENIOR MANAGERS on a consistent basis which consisted of ten day trips to teach a 4 hour block of instruction. Word is, the affected managers were not subject matter experts, nor did they solicit the experts Bureau wide, and the kicker............................encouraged each other to participate primarily (bragged about), the loose sex trade rules while in Bangkok. Agents are being hammered for an off color email or slight of policy, but these guys are road trippin international?

My former RAC and ASAC [both fat ba$tards] gigged me [a lowly GS-13 Plain Old Agent] for three days [the equivalent of a "drum-head courtmartial"] for a pure chicken$hit issue -- I kept on the wall in my office an email I got from a retired ATF RAC [he retired with his dignity and integrity] which cast a light on the bumblings of other bosses, like the one who needed three hours to watch 60 Minutes.  Meanwhile, the same Division had no problems with a punk agent mocking my line of duty injuries.

 

And so the list begins!

Clearly Brandon and Torres should be demoted from any managerial positions in this Bureau.

My former RAC and ASAC [both fat ba$tards] gigged me [a lowly GS-13 Plain Old Agent] for three days [the equivalent of a "drum-head courtmartial"] for a pure chicken$hit issue -- I kept on the wall in my office an email I got from a retired ATF RAC [he retired with his dignity and integrity] which cast a light on the bumblings of other bosses, like the one who needed three hours to watch 60 Minutes. Meanwhile, the same Division had no problems with a punk agent mocking my line of duty injuries.

And so the list begins!

HERE WE GO AGAIN. Another office mired in controversy, and the SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE AND ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENTS IN CHARGE, are attempting to spin and conceal HUGE issues from HQ and have minimized the violations to internal affairs DAD King OBVIOUSLY WITH AD GLEYSTEENS APPROVAL. The violations are blatant, unethical and WILL result in significant investigation and disciplinary actions. As usual, the attempt by Field Division senior managers to conceal and cover-up the allegations will result in disaster. The affected SAC has a proven record of failure(documented), but Mr. Jones apparently thought it a good idea to promote him anyway.

The field division in question is conducting their own internal investigation trying to tamp down the NOW documented abuses and allegations INCLUDING INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS from HQ oversight. It would appear IA is complicit designating the violations as management issues........THEY ARE NOT. Secret meetings with employees, interviewing entire offices conducted by an ASAC and a (Yes man RAC),   DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

CAN ANYONE PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW SUCH ACTIONS ADVANCE OUR MISSION READINESS?