I am not a prophet but, considering that this letter was written (unbeknown to me) during the heart of Fast and Furious, it is somewhat prophetic. I had no way of knowing that the same people I was writing about were, at that time, orchestrating the biggest scandal in law enforcement history and doing so with impunity.
Curious is the OSC's conclusions delivered to President Obama. (Below) They flat out tell the President that ATF refuses to be accountable or hold any person responsible for blunders (mistakes is too kind of a word for these guys, sorry Mr. Holder). The process by which Fast and Furious came about, the people involved, the people who watched it an did nothing, and the ATF policy to deny and cover-up management's catastrophes - that has been here a long time, only in smaller doses.
It didn’t, and doesn’t, take any great intellect to know what was, is, and has been, wrong at ATF for a long time. History continues to repeat itself at ATF, usually with even greater recklessness and maliciousness. It also doesn’t take a smart guy to understand how to fix it. ATF was and can still be great. We should be. Logic, common sense and testicular fortitude need to override fear for the decision makers. There must be nothing worse to look at yourself and know you are a roll-over coward. I hope I never have to experience that.
“But Jay, you can’t say stuff like that! You can’t call out the White House and Holder on national TV! They’ll never let you win!”
They aren’t going to “let” me anything. "They" don’t get to “let” me win, "they" will fight to the death. I’ll win or lose all on my own and in spite of all the dirty traps "they" set.
Whistleblowers at ATF have, and continue to be told to shut-up-and-go-away. When they don't, they get trainwrecked with retaliation. It is happening as you read this message. Well, guess what, some of us haven't and won't. The truth never changes and even when you try to dodge it and cover it up, it always comes out. They simply cannot hide from it.
My advice to peers and friends has been that if you can live with yourself, keep it to yourself. If you can’t live with yourself by choking down the corruption, then speak out. Yes, that empowers the retaliators but how do you encourage your friends to wreck their careers and reputations knowing that no one of influence is going to support or help them? Keep quiet and keep getting paid is the path of least resistance.
Let the truth be your guide? Whistleblower protections? They are nothing more than words on a piece of paper. They are not enforced. ATF’s executives know it and take advantage of it. ATF treats the No Fear Act as a nuisance, not a law. If you do get in the fight prepare for it to be long, dirty and unjust – that is how ATF plays the game – and understand that no one’s coming to your rescue. You will win or lose all on your own and you will be forced to suffer for the truth along the way. Let’s not sugarcoat it – the powers that be will destroy you if they can.
Still want in? That’s OK, some of us will stay in the fight so the rest of us don’t have to.
OSC and OIG in 2008:
“I note with concern the absence of any corrective measures proposed to address the failure to conduct timely and thorough investigations into the death threats made against SA Dobyns. ATF does not appear to have held anyone accountable in this regard. Fully addressing the problems and failures identified in this case requires more than amending ATF policies and procedures. It requires that threats against ATF agents be taken seriously and pursued aggressively and that ATF officials at all levels cooperate to ensure the timely and comprehensive investigation of threats leveled against its own agents.” (OSC Report; Page 11; Paragraph 5)
“Notably absent from the report, however, is any statement from ATF regarding action taken to address the failure to adequately investigate the threats made against SA Dobyns.” (OSC Letter to the President of the United States; Page 2, Paragraph 2)