Mr. Chairman,
Before we get to the agenda, I’d like to say a few words about the report issued by Former FBI Director William Webster regarding the FBI’s investigation of the attack at Ft. Hood by Major Nidal Hasan.
Major Hasan’s attack killed 12 U.S. soldiers, a Defense Department employee, and wounded 42 others. Following the attack, the FBI conducted an internal review and determined they had information on Major Hasan prior to the attack.
As a result, the FBI Director asked Judge Webster to conduct an independent review and investigation of the FBI’s handling of the matter.
In short, Judge Webster’s Commission found that the FBI made mistakes that resulted from a number of problems, some operational some technological.
Some of these mistakes are extremely concerning given they are basic management failures. For example, the unclassified report states, “Many agents and most [task force officers] did not receive training on [FBI computer systems] and other FBI databases until after the FBI’s internal investigation of the Fort Hood shootings.” This is unacceptable.
Other problems highlighted include failing to issue Intelligence Information Reports on Major Hasan to the Defense Department; confusion about which FBI office was investigating the lead; failures to interview Major Hasan; along with information technology limitations.
All in all, the Webster report paints a disturbing picture of the FBI. It shows lack of training, failures to follow leads, and continued computer problems. These are the types of problems we thought were corrected following the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
Ultimately, Judge Webster issued 18 recommendations for the FBI to implement to prevent future problems. The FBI agreed with these recommendations and has stated they’ll take action to implement them.
That’s good news. The FBI must implement these recommendations immediately. However, we have a duty to make sure the FBI implements these recommendations and hold them accountable if they don’t.
The FBI’s failures in this case are inexcusable and shake public confidence in the FBI’s ability to combat homegrown terrorists. Basic management problems and investigative failures can’t happen when national security is at stake.
If failures of this magnitude occur on high profile national security matters, it makes you wonder what the FBI is doing on other investigations.
Those responsible for these failures should be held accountable. I intend to follow-up with Director Mueller to determine what action was taken against those involved.
One more report that can’t go ignored is a report just released this morning by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General. This report examined improper hiring practices within the Justice Department’s Justice Management Division. Shockingly, the Inspector General found that Justice Department employees openly and flagrantly violated federal law.
Let me repeat that, these employees violated federal law and DOJ regulations prohibiting employment of relatives, granting illegal preferences in employment, conflicts of interest, and misuse of position. Further, employees who were interviewed by the OIG were also found to have made false statements to investigators.
This is another example of the Justice Department run wild. It is troubling to me how employees within the Department colluded and schemed to hire one another’s relatives in order to avoid rules against nepotism. This is inexcusable and I can assure you I will be looking into this matter.
This wasn’t a one-time event, and in fact the OIG pointed out similar problems existed in 2008. Despite what the Department called “aggressive action” to stop this type of behavior back in 2008, it appears nothing changed.
At the very least, the Attorney General needs to hold these employees accountable—with more than just disciplinary action. Laws were broken and false statements were made. The Department can’t simply sweep this under the rug—employees need to be punished.
Regarding the agenda, the nominees and the legislative items on the agenda are all on for the first time. We’d ask that they be held over.
On S.225, the Access to Information About Missing Children Act, I understand there are ongoing negotiations to make changes. Hopefully, those negotiations will be able to work out concerns that arose at the hearing on this issue back in March of 2011.
Thank you.