Female FBI Agents Come Forward About Abuse
(TheRedWire.com) – The FBI faced a #MeToo movement investigation in June 2021, an Associated Press investigation revealed. In 2020, the news outlet reported that the nation’s top law enforcement agency allowed some senior officials to transfer or retire to avoid discipline after substantiating sexual harassment or assault claims. In 2021, the FBI agreed to pay a high-ranking female FBI agent $1.2 million to settle a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. Still, allegations of a hostile work environment remain unresolved a year after FBI Director Christopher Wray promised to fix the problems.
On Wednesday, October 5, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said whistleblower disclosures from 2004 to 2020 showed hundreds of FBI employees resigned or retired to avoid accountability regarding sexual misconduct allegations. He called the misconduct “outrageous and unacceptable.”
Whistleblowers reveal pattern of sexual misconduct at FBI: ‘Sounds like Sodom and Gomorrah’https://t.co/BluAe6T4bc pic.twitter.com/Ctfsc58VUV
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 7, 2022
An attorney for the whistleblowers said Wray and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate allowed the misconduct to continue while providing no recourse for the victims to stop the perpetrators. He added their refusal to protect the female employees threatened their health and safety.
The FBI said it expects employees to foster a respectful and professional work environment. In addition, the agency stated it wouldn’t hesitate to revoke security clearances or dismiss bad actors.
Lawmakers expressed shock and concern that the FBI enabled a hostile environment. While commenting on the House floor regarding the situation, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) said the workplace atmosphere sounded like it was “Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Copyright 2022, TheRedWire.com
