S. HRG. 114–829 WHISTLEBLOWER RETALIATION AT THE FBI: IMPROVING PROTECTIONS AND OVERSIGHT HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MARCH 4, 2015 Serial No. J–114–5 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 42–756 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa, Chairman ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont, JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama Ranking Member LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California JOHN CORNYN, Texas CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York MICHAEL S. LEE, Utah RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois TED CRUZ, Texas SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island JEFF FLAKE, Arizona AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota DAVID VITTER, Louisiana AL FRANKEN, Minnesota DAVID PERDUE, Georgia CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware THOM TILLIS, North Carolina RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut KOLAN L. DAVIS, Chief Counsel and Staff Director KRISTINE LUCIUS, Democratic Chief Counsel and Staff Director (II) C O N T E N T S MARCH 4, 2015, 10:02 A.M. STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS Page Grassley, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa ..................... 1 Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont .................... 9 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 82 WITNESSES Witness List ............................................................................................................. 35 German, Michael, Fellow, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, Former Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York, New York ....................... 4 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 36 Horowitz, Hon. Michael E., Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC ................................................................................................... 25 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 44 Kiper, J. Richard, Ph.D., Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami, Florida ...................................................................................................... 7 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 53 Kohn, Stephen M., Executive Director, National Whistleblowers Center, Washington, DC ................................................................................................... 5 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 56 Maurer, David C., Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, U.S. Gov- ernment Accountability Office, Washington, DC ............................................... 22 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 63 Perkins, Kevin L., Associate Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion, Washington, DC ........................................................................................... 23 prepared statement .......................................................................................... 75 QUESTIONS Questions submitted to Michael German by Senator Grassley ........................... 83 Questions submitted to Hon. Michael E. Horowitz by: Senator Grassley .............................................................................................. 84 Senator Leahy ................................................................................................... 91 Questions submitted to Stephen M. Kohn by Senator Grassley .......................... 86 Questions submitted to Kevin L. Perkins by Senator Grassley ........................... 87 ANSWERS Responses of Michael German to questions submitted by Senator Grassley ..... 93 Responses of Hon. Michael E. Horowitz to questions submitted by: Senator Grassley .............................................................................................. 96 Senator Leahy ................................................................................................... 100 Responses of Stephen M. Kohn to questions submitted by Senator Grassley .... 106 Responses of Kevin L. Perkins to questions submitted by Senator Grassley ..... 108 (III) IV Page MISCELLANEOUS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Integrity and Compliance, subject: ‘‘Whistleblower protection,’’ message to FBI Whistleblower, August 4, 2014, email—redacted .................................................................................................... 196 Riddell, Kelly, ‘‘FBI surveillance teams frustrated by nepotism and internal politics. Whistleblower: War on terror hampered by culture of favoritism,’’ The Washington Times, March 2, 2015, article ................................................. 219 United States Department of Justice, correspondence from Hon. Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General, to Hon. Arlen Specter, a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennsylvania and Chairman, Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont and Ranking Member, and Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Member, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, March 8, 2006, letter .......................................... 129 United States Department of Justice, correspondence from Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, to Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, February 3, 2015, letter ..................................................................... 145 United States Department of Justice, correspondence from Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, to Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, February 19, 2015, letter ................................................................... 149 United States Department of Justice, correspondence from Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, to Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, February 25, 2015, letter ................................................................... 153 United States Department of Justice, correspondence from Stephen D. Kelly, Assistant Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation, to Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, March 2, 2015, letter ............................................................................................................ 162 United States Department of Justice, correspondence from Stephen D. Kelly, Assistant Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation, to Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, March 3, 2015, letter ............................................................................................................ 164 United States Department of Justice, ‘‘Department of Justice Report on Regu- lations Protecting FBI Whistleblowers,’’ April 2014, report ............................. 169 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, correspondence from Hon. Arlen Specter, a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennsylvania and Chair- man, Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont and Ranking Member, and Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Member, to Hon. Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice, February 3, 2006, letter ....................................... 122 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, correspondence from Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Ranking Member, to Hon. James B. Comey, Jr., Director, Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation, July 17, 2014, letter .............................................................................. 142 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, correspondence from Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Chairman, to Hon. James B. Comey, Jr., Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, February 26, 2015, letter ..................................................................................... 157 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, correspondence from Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Ranking Member, to Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice, May 21, 2014, letter—redacted ......................................................... 205 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, correspondence from Hon. Charles E. Grassley, a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa and Ranking Member, to Hon. James B. Comey, Jr., Director, Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation, September 26, 2014, letter ................................................................... 206 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, ‘‘FBI Policy Directive 0773D, Loss of Effectiveness Transfers, Observations,’’ notes ......................... 215 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, ‘‘Response to FBI Letter of March 2, 2015,’’ notes .....................................................................................