Investigative Reports

On October 10, 2017, a Train Attendant in Miami, Florida, was terminated from employment for a violation of company policies. Our investigation determined that the employee used Amtrak trains to ship personal packages without paying the proper shipping fees, in violation of the company’s Standards of Excellence and Service Standards for Train Service & On-Board Service Employees.

We conducted this investigation in response to allegations that a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the Detroit Port of Entry, received a letter of reprimand prompted by his supervisor in reprisal for Complainant's attempt to report perceived Fourth Amendment and racial profiling violations to CBP's Office of Chief Counsel . The Complainant claimed the formal reprimand caused him to be denied a temporary duty assignment.

CNCS-OIG received an allegation that a CNCS State Program Officer may have falsified documents when she awarded a VISTA grant.The investigation found no evidence that the employee falsified documents pertaining to the awarding of the VISTA grant; however, the employee failed to follow the VISTA Desk Reference guidelines when she failed to obtain the proper documents and verify the 501(c) (3) nonprofit status before awarding the VISTA grant.

We conducted this investigation in response to allegations that - (Complainant), a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the Detroit Port of Entry, received a letter of reprimand (LOR) prompted by his supervisor, (Supervisor #1), in reprisal for Complainant's attempt to report perceived Fourth Amendment and racial profiling violations to CBP's Office of Chief Counsel (OCC). Complainant claimed the formal reprimand caused him to be denied a temporary duty assignment.

DOI OIG - BLM Manager Falsified Employment Information

Complainant is a Senior Special Agent with the United States Secret Service. For 20 years, he worked in a variety of investigative and protective duties until his security clearance was suspended in 2013. Complainant reported to us that the Secret Service suspended and revoked his security clearance as retaliation for disclosing alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws and for separately reporting abuse of authority on the part of his former Special Agent in Charge and other officials. As a result of these security clearance actions, the Secret Service placed Complainant on administrative leave and then indefinite suspension without pay, his current status with the agency.Underpinning this matter are allegations of whistleblower retaliation by adverse security clearance action. For the first time within the Department of Homeland Security, under Presidential Policy Directive 19 (PPD-19), we have substantiated an instance of retaliation related to security clearance actions.

Please also see the link below for the DOJ OIG's related Memorandum for the Deputy Attorney General, "Recommendation for a Department of Justice Policy Establishing Standards for its Security Offices to Review Misconduct Investigations for Security Clearance Adjudications," which was issued in conjunction with this report.