Representing Members From: FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AGRICULTURE OIG Forest Service 1100 Connecticut Ave NW ▪ Suite 900 ▪ Washington, D.C. 20036 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY COMMERCE Export Enforcement Phone: 202-293-1550 ▪ www.fleoa.org OIG NOAA Fisheries Law Enforcement DEFENSE Air Force - OSI Army - CID Defense Criminal Investigative Service June 10, 2021 Naval Criminal Investigative Service OIG Police EDUCATION - OIG Honorable Gary Peters Honorable Rob Portman ENERGY National Nuclear Security Administration Chairman Ranking Member OIG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Senate HSGAC United States Senate HSGAC CID OIG Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OIG FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY – OIG SYSTEM Federal Reserve Board Dear Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION - OIG HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES We write to you today to express our growing concern over the nomination of Kiran Ahuja as the Food & Drug Administration OIG next Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director. Although we have not weighed in on this HOMELAND SECURITY Border Patrol nomination in the past, recent developments have generated concern in our association. Coast Guard Investigative Service Immigration & Customs Enforcement Customs & Border Protection Federal Air Service A nominee who would become the leader of the human resources, payroll and training entity within Federal Protective Service U.S. Secret Service the federal government with direct authority over millions of federal employees, including the over Transportation Security Administration OIG 100,000 federal law enforcement officers that protect and defend this nation every day, that often HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT - OIG becomes an arbiter of both agency and Congressional policies, should have a past record that shows INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs fairness, equity and sensitivity to everyone. With the diverse stakeholder status of the multiple Bureau of Land Management Fish & Wildlife Service federal employee groups, the recent citations of the nominee’s embracement of radical theories such OIG as “critical race theory” draws a large question as to this nominee’s ability to neutrality, fairness, U.S. Park Police JUSTICE and impartiality. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Bureau of Prisons Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation As an academic concept, critical race theory should be viewed as an extremist theory and ideology U.S. Service OIG that does nothing to draw Americans together in the same way as “white supremacy.” All of those U.S. Attorney’s Office-CI extremist views stand in stark contrast to the Administration’s own positions on wanting to unite LABOR - OIG NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE our nation. After his election, President Biden himself said that “it was time for Americans to ADMINISTRATION – OIG NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION – OIG unite.” Clearly, this type of theory and those that would embrace it push Americans further apart – Police OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - OIG and does nothing to achieve the unity Americans have worked towards throughout our history. PENTAGON FORCE PROTECTION AGENCY POSTAL SERVICE Postal Inspection Postal OIG As an association that represents federal law enforcement officers whose main job is to protect al l Postal Police RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD Americans under the rule of law as defined in our Constitution, advocating for extremist views has SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - OIG SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - OIG no place within our ranks or that of the federal workforce. As one who should be the fair, impartial, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE - OIG STATE DEPARTMENT and the neutral arbiter of federal employee policies and issues, the nominee’s embracement of these Bureau of Diplomatic Security radical theories should give anyone pause and question their capacity to achieve that unity in OIG TRANSPORTATION - OIG America that the President himself has asked all Americans to achieve. TREASURY FINCEN & OIG Internal Revenue Service – CI Mint We appreciate your consideration of our views and if we can be of any additional assistance, feel TIGTA U.S. CAPITOL POLICE free to contact us at [email protected]. U.S. PROBATION & PRETRIAL SERVICES U.S. VETERANS AFFAIRS Office of Inspector General Sincerely, VA Police RETIREES Larry Cosme National President LAZARO “LARRY” COSME National President National Executive Vice President MATHEW SILVERMAN Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Vice President – Operations ENID FEBUS Vice President – Agency Affairs BRUCE BUTLER Vice President – Membership Benefits CC: Senate HSGAC members WILLIAM HAMPSTEAD National Secretary JANISSETT SANTOS National Treasurer MADELINE GORRA Vice President – Legislative Affairs DOMINICK STOKES Immediate Past President NATHAN CATURA Executive Director DONALD MIHALEK National Chapters Director MARK HEINBACH National Awards Director ELIZABETH MCALEER National Recruitment Director Vice President – Development and Program MICHAEL DILLINGER Retirement Director STAN SCHWARTZ Public Affairs Officer NATALIA CASTRO