The letter notes that at least 18 of 53 senior special agents have been pushed out under this Administration – and most are women or people of color
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged the Department of Justice’s Acting Inspector General William Blier to investigate the arbitrary removals, forced retirements, and reassignments of senior Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executives, special agents in charge (SACs), and other supervisory agents and the impact these decisions have had on the Bureau’s national security and law enforcement operations, as well as the disparate impact on personnel who are women or persons of color.
Durbin wrote, “As I have noted in previous letters to the Department of Justice and FBI, I believe these short-sighted and politically motivated personnel decisions have significantly destabilized the Bureau, harmed our public safety apparatus, and made Americans less safe. The Director’s commitment to the Committee—that ‘all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution’—has proven to be a wholly empty promise.”
As recently as last week, the Assistant Director of the Critical Incident Response Group and other senior officials not eligible for retirement, including the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of Las Vegas, were fired or reassigned. In addition, recent public reporting found that “at least 18 of 53 special agents in charge ... have been pushed out under the Trump [A]dministration.”
Durbin continued, “My office also understands that senior executives, SACs, Assistant SACs, and other supervisory agents—all of whom are women and/or people of color—have been removed, reassigned, or forced to retire from multiple field offices, including but not limited to: Birmingham, Alabama; Houston, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans, Louisiana; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, California; and St. Louis, Missouri. These individuals represent decades of expertise, public service, and commitment to the Bureau’s mission and our public safety. For any of them to be ousted for reasons such as race, ethnicity, or gender—let alone to be replaced by individuals who have not been required to meet the same rigorous standards—is unacceptable.”
The letter also notes the FBI is contemplating reintroducing specific physical fitness standards that would have the effect of reducing the number of women in the FBI’s existing workforce by an estimated 30 percent.
Durbin continued, “I ask that you investigate these arbitrary removals, forced retirements, and reassignments of senior FBI personnel to determine the impact on the Bureau’s national security and law enforcement operations. As part of that inquiry, I ask that you review any targeting of senior officials or supervisors who are women and/or persons of color—whether through removal, forced retirement, or reassignment—as well as the implementation of any standards meant to reduce the number of individuals in protected classes. I also ask that you review the impact of the Bureau circumventing its standard process to review or alter physical fitness or training requirements and the impact such rapid changes will have on the Bureau’s ability to recruit and retain its workforce.”
Durbin concluded, “Your office has a solemn obligation to hold the Bureau and the Director to account, especially given the credible concerns that seemingly politically motived decisions are harming the core mission of the FBI.”
For a PDF copy of the letter sent to AIG Blier, click here.
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