FederalDaily - August 16, 2007
FBI/ICE Turf Battles Imperil Terrorism Cases
Interagency jurisdictional disputes between the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
have sidetracked agents’ efforts to follow up reports of terrorism activity, leading to some
cases being dropped, said a new government report. The report, from the Inspectors General at the Departments
of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ)—compiled at the request of Sen. Chuck Grassley,
D-Iowa—examined 10 cases that started at ICE and were taken over by the FBI. The cases were the
product of a 2003 inter-agency agreement that sought to improve cooperation. The report found that
seven of the 10 terrorist-financing cases suffered from lack of cooperation between the FBI and ICE
until the cases were transferred to FBI-controlled Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The new report—a
follow-up to an earlier study of a single case—cited FBI delays and refusals on investigative
actions that needed court approval. According to the study, ICE agents specifically reported that the
FBI “impeded or prevented ICE’s requests for search warrants.” Eventually, ICE agents
avoided following up terrorism leads in order to prevent FBI involvement, the report said. “I
hate to think how much our law enforcement agencies could be missing because of petty turf battles,” Grassley
said Aug. 13. “That kind of institutional vanity should have been history on Sept, 12, 2001.” To
see more, go to: http://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=5519&Month=8&Year=2007
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NTEU Applauds Federal Telework Measure
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) applauded a new measure that would encourage expanded
telework opportunities for the federal work force. The measure, sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md.,
was attached to the House energy-efficiency bill. The Telework Enhancement Act would mandate that agencies
appoint a full-time telework managing officer, have teleworker programs annually rated, and make telework
training mandatory. While there is considerable lip service paid to expanding telework opportunities
at federal agencies, management reluctance continues to be the strongest impediment, NTEU said in a
statement. “As we know from collective bargaining experience,” NTEU President Colleen Kelley
said, “even agencies whose leaders have voiced support for telework find that employees are denied
telework due to mid-level management resistance.” To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1144
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Coast Guard Looking for Lost Personnel Data
The Coast Guard is looking for a handful of three-ring binders—containing personal information
for up to 6,200 current and former Coast Guard uniformed servicemembers and civilian employees—that
were lost during a recent headquarters move. The six to eight binders held printed reports which summarized
family advocacy and special needs cases for uniformed Coast Guard members, family members and civilian
employees from 1997 to 2006. They are not full case histories, but some may contain limited personally
identifiable information, including names and Social Security numbers, said Coast Guard Investigative
Service Special Agent Marty Martinez on Aug. 14. The binders were lost during an office move at headquarters
earlier this year, Martinez said in a statement. So far, evidence suggests the reports were discarded
or destroyed; but in a display of caution, the Coast Guard is attempting to verify that the records
were destroyed and did not fall into the wrong hands. The Coast Guard also will notify in writing all
6,200 persons affected, establish a toll-free help hotline (888-286-7013), and offer free credit monitoring
services. To see more, go to: www.piersystem.com/go/doc/786/168485
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