Grassley Probes FBI’s Mismanagement of Undercover Operations Program

WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is urging the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to address the agency’s reported mismanagement of national security undercover operations.

“It is imperative that the FBI manages its national security [undercover operations] in an efficient and effective manner, so that it not only carries out successful operations, but also provides proper support and protects the FBI undercover agents it employs,” Grassley wrote.

In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Grassley cites legally protected whistleblower disclosures revealing the Biden-Harris administration’s FBI:

• Endangered law enforcement officers by: 
  • Allegedly failing to investigate a burglary at a location associated with an undercover agent; and
  • Allegedly requesting an undercover agent report to a field office in a true name, despite having an established alias.
• Forced undercover agents to cover operational expenses and secure housing out-of-pocket, without reimbursement; and
• Strained the Safeguard program – tasked with protecting the safety and well-being of undercover agents – by reducing its number of licensed clinicians. 

Grassley is calling on the FBI to address whistleblowers’ concerns, while working to close remaining Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) recommendations regarding the agency’s undercover operations.

Read Grassley’s full letter HERE.

Background:

In 2022, the DOJ OIG released a report exposing the FBI’s mismanagement of undercover operations. Specifically, the DOJ OIG audit found that:

• Coordinators for undercover FBI missions “lacked important qualifications and experience,” such as experience working undercover;
• The Stagehand Operation program, which provides logistical support for undercover FBI missions and has already faced allegations of severe mismanagement, was vulnerable to personnel shortages; and
• Operations were delayed for over six months due to the absence of a centralized tracking mechanism for Attorney General Exemptions and Otherwise Illegal Activity requests.

The DOJ OIG issued ten recommendations to the Biden-Harris FBI, which included establishing qualifications for undercover coordinators, giving the Stagehand program greater control over staffing and developing a system for tracking Attorney General Exemptions and Otherwise Illegal Activity requests. According to the DOJ OIG, these three recommendations remain open.

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