The Department of Justice (DOJ) found that a senior FBI official did not report a romantic relationship with a subordinate in a “timely” manner and that the official also interfered in a local police investigation of a traffic incident involving the subordinate.
Also, a former senior FBI official did not follow protocol to “Mitigate Adverse Consequences of the Romantic Relationship” once the official had learned of the relationship.
According to the findings of an investigation by the Justice Department, allegations involving violations of FBI policies were substantiated.
“The OIG [Office of Inspector General] investigation substantiated the allegations that the Senior Official engaged in a romantic relationship with a subordinate and failed to timely report the relationship, in violation of FBI policy,” the report reads. “The OIG also found that the Senior Official violated FBI policy by participating in two hiring or organizational decisions involving the subordinate without receiving prior approval.”
Investigators found that the relationship had a negative impact on the FBI, apparently disrupting the work of the bureau and that the senior FBI official used the agency’s time and resources to “pursue the relationship.”
“[The] OIG found that the Senior Official allowed the relationship to negatively affect a professional and appropriate supervisor-subordinate relationship, adversely affect the FBI’s mission, and disrupt workplace morale, by, among other things, causing the subordinate to believe that the subordinate’s career was being impacted due to missed opportunities and sending text messages and emails to the subordinate that disparaged the subordinate’s immediate supervisor and the Senior Official’s other subordinates,” investigators said.
The senior FBI official also interfered with the investigation of a “traffic incident” that involved the subordinate, apparently getting in the way of a local police department that was investigating the incident.
In interviews with the senior official, the unnamed agent apparently “lacked candor” about the traffic incident. The retired senior official violated FBI policy by not taking preemptive action to “mitigate” any possible negative consequences once the unnamed official found out about the relationship.
Criminal charges for the senior FBI official were “declined” according to the report. However, the senior official was moved to a nonsupervisory role and awaits further disciplinary action.
“The FBI advised the OIG that, following its receipt and review of the OIG’s report, the FBI immediately removed and reassigned the Senior Official to a nonsupervisory role pending disciplinary action based on the results of the OIG’s investigation,” the report notes.
In December, the DOJ substantiated allegations that several FBI agents “solicited, procured, and accepted commercial sex overseas” while doing work for the bureau. According to officials, four agents “lacked candor” when discussing their interactions with prostitutes while overseas.
“The OIG investigation further found that five officials failed to report contact or relationships with foreign nationals, including foreign nationals from whom they procured commercial sex, in violation of FBI policies,” investigators said.
During the investigation process into the agents who solicited commercial sex, two retired, two resigned, and another was “removed.”