DoJ IG Horowitz Details the Systemic Issues with the Security Clearance Process Used to Silence and Retaliate Against Whistleblowers

HOROWITZ Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ me to testify today ░░░░░░░░ perform an important public ░░░░░░░░ and no employee should ░░░░░░░░ reprisal for bringing forward ░░░░░░░░ that they reasonably believe ░░░░░░░░ evidence of waste fraud ░░░░░░░░ or a violation of ░░░░░░░░ As we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ with a security clearance ░░░░░░░░ particularly vulnerable to retaliation ░░░░░░░░ an employee s due ░░░░░░░░ protections and right to ░░░░░░░░ a security clearance suspension ░░░░░░░░ revocation are more limited ░░░░░░░░ such employees can remain ░░░░░░░░ without pay for lengthy ░░░░░░░░ of time before having ░░░░░░░░ ability to contest the ░░░░░░░░ clearance action Federal law ░░░░░░░░ agencies to have an ░░░░░░░░ process that enables employees ░░░░░░░░ reprisal due to a ░░░░░░░░ clearance revocation or suspension ░░░░░░░░ more than one year ░░░░░░░░ seek inspector general review ░░░░░░░░ the reprisal allegation The ░░░░░░░░ also requires government agencies ░░░░░░░░ establish a review process ░░░░░░░░ to the extent practicable ░░░░░░░░ individuals with a retaliation ░░░░░░░░ to retain their government ░░░░░░░░ status while the security ░░░░░░░░ review is pending In ░░░░░░░░ 2024 my office issued ░░░░░░░░ Management Advisory Memorandum or ░░░░░░░░ finding that the department ░░░░░░░░ then existing policy didn ░░░░░░░░ include the required IG ░░░░░░░░ process for suspensions As ░░░░░░░░ noted in the MAM ░░░░░░░░ an employee who claims ░░░░░░░░ on unpaid suspension while ░░░░░░░░ lengthy security clearance investigation ░░░░░░░░ conducted can make it ░░░░░░░░ unrealistic for the employee ░░░░░░░░ retain their government employee ░░░░░░░░ Moreover it creates the ░░░░░░░░ that the security process ░░░░░░░░ be misused as part ░░░░░░░░ an inappropriate effort to ░░░░░░░░ an employee to resign ░░░░░░░░ m pleased that the ░░░░░░░░ has promptly responded to ░░░░░░░░ MAM s recommendations Separately ░░░░░░░░ ve also received complaints ░░░░░░░░ the security clearance suspension ░░░░░░░░ adjudication process that go ░░░░░░░░ the issues detailed in ░░░░░░░░ MAM including allegations of ░░░░░░░░ compliance with standard operating ░░░░░░░░ on the opening of ░░░░░░░░ investigations highly inappropriate investigations ░░░░░░░░ asked inappropriate questions being ░░░░░░░░ of witnesses during the ░░░░░░░░ clearance investigations inconsistent outcomes ░░░░░░░░ security clearance suspension determinations ░░░░░░░░ suspension and revocation of ░░░░░░░░ employee s eligibility to ░░░░░░░░ a clearance based on ░░░░░░░░ and retaliation against employees ░░░░░░░░ raising concerns to management ░░░░░░░░ security clearance suspensions investigations ░░░░░░░░ adjudications These allegations raise ░░░░░░░░ issues and I would ░░░░░░░░ do not apply to ░░░░░░░░ a subset of employees ░░░░░░░░ certain political views or ░░░░░░░░ During today s hearing ░░░░░░░░ both investigative and privacy ░░░░░░░░ the only whistleblower retaliation ░░░░░░░░ that I can discuss ░░░░░░░░ the one involving Mr ░░░░░░░░ I m able to ░░░░░░░░ so because Mr Allen ░░░░░░░░ settled his employment claims ░░░░░░░░ the FBI or against ░░░░░░░░ FBI with the FBI ░░░░░░░░ his security clearance and ░░░░░░░░ to provide him back ░░░░░░░░ Following the settlement Mr ░░░░░░░░ withdrew the retaliation complaint ░░░░░░░░ had filed with my ░░░░░░░░ resulting in the OIG ░░░░░░░░ our retaliation investigation Mr ░░░░░░░░ also waived any privacy ░░░░░░░░ that might otherwise prohibit ░░░░░░░░ from discussing our investigation ░░░░░░░░ the claims As a ░░░░░░░░ I m able to ░░░░░░░░ with you today the ░░░░░░░░ details we learned during ░░░░░░░░ investigation which will illustrate ░░░░░░░░ of the systemic issues ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen with ░░░░░░░░ security clearance process For ░░░░░░░░ in Mr Allen s ░░░░░░░░ his unpaid security clearance ░░░░░░░░ in early 2022 and ░░░░░░░░ t end until the ░░░░░░░░ in June 2024 Most ░░░░░░░░ in Mr Allen s ░░░░░░░░ would find it unrealistic ░░░░░░░░ to retain their government ░░░░░░░░ status for over two ░░░░░░░░ without pay which is ░░░░░░░░ tension with the law ░░░░░░░░ requirement that agencies allow ░░░░░░░░ claiming retaliation to retain ░░░░░░░░ employment status while the ░░░░░░░░ review is ongoing There ░░░░░░░░ a number of other ░░░░░░░░ important policy issues relating ░░░░░░░░ protecting whistleblowers from retaliation ░░░░░░░░ I look forward to ░░░░░░░░ today including potential legislative ░░░░░░░░ and potential actions raised ░░░░░░░░ the written testimony and ░░░░░░░░ submitted for today s ░░░░░░░░ and as we seek ░░░░░░░░ of us I think ░░░░░░░░ ensure that the security ░░░░░░░░ investigation and adjudication process ░░░░░░░░ never used to retaliate ░░░░░░░░ whistleblowers and people who ░░░░░░░░ forward in good faith ░░░░░░░░ of waste misconduct and ░░░░░░░░ Thank you again for ░░░░░░░░ committee s support and ░░░░░░░░ look forward to answering ░░░░░░░░ questions.”