FBI raids Special Counsel Bloch
FBI Raids Special Counsel Office, Seizes Records
NPR.org, May 6, 2008 · FBI agents on Tuesday raided the offices of Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch, who oversees protection for federal whistle-blowers. The agents seized computers and shut down e-mail service as part of an obstruction of justice probe, as first reported by NPR News.One of Bloch’s first official actions was to refuse to investigate any claims of discrimination based on sexual orientation. When the news of his refusal was leaked to the press, career employees in his office say, Bloch blamed them for the leak. He retaliated, the employees said, by creating a new field office in Detroit and forcing them either to accept assignments there or resign.
In addition to concerns about obstruction of justice, investigators are also looking into whether Bloch violated the Hatch Act, a congressional mandate that prohibits employees from using their offices for partisan political purposes.
Bloch has admitted to hiring Geeks on Call — a computer servicing company — to purge his computer and two of his deputies’ computers, sources said. But he said the computers contained a virus, which necessitated a purge. Investigators are looking into whether the purge was meant to destroy evidence related to the current investigation.
Now the question is- did the FBI go after this guy on the orders of the president…or against them?
May 7th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Dear Sirs,
“One of Bloch’s first official actions was to refuse to investigate any claims of discrimination based on sexual orientation. When the news of his refusal was leaked to the press, career employees in his office say, Bloch blamed them for the leak. He retaliated, the employees said, by creating a new field office in Detroit and forcing them either to accept assignments there or resign.”
That looks like the whistleblower protector is firing whistleblowers… Note: it is not against Federal law to discriminate based on sexual orientation, so the way the “leak” was handled perhaps could’ve been better.
It’s all very confusing.
Thank you for your time and assistance.