In response to whistleblowers and reporters who have revealed significant corruption within the agency, the ATF has apparently undertaken a systematic effort to retaliate against anyone who has shone the light on the agency's illegal activity, particularly with regard to Operation Fast and Furious, also known as Project Gunwalker. Within the last 24 hours information has come to light indicating a dangerous and deadly pattern on the part of ATF supervisors to punish agents who talk and to intimidate reporters who put the pressure on Congress to reign in an agency that is obviously out of control.
According to veteran ATF agents who post at the site CleanUpATF.org, agency supervisors have retaliated against whistleblower agents in a variety of ways. First, supervisors have made it clear that their goal is to fire such agents. Working under such a threat is in itself a heavy load to bear. Second, supervisors have attempted to frame whistleblower agents for crimes they did not commit. And third, supervisors have refused to grant added protection to whistleblowers whose cover was blown once they went public, leaving them vulnerable to death threats and actions aimed at killing them and their families.
One whistleblower, Peter Forcelli, had to be reassigned to protect him from retaliation by the Phoenix field office once he testified before Congress. John Dodson, the agent who became the face of the whistleblowers due to his now-infamous interviews on CBS and Fox News, has suffered having his name dragged through the mud, along with various and sundry other actions to make him pay for his 'crime' of going public.
And then, there is the case of agent Jay Dobyns, a decorated 25-year veteran of the ATF who was singularly responsible for infiltrating and exposing criminal activity associated with the gang 'Hell's Angels.' Dobyns was one of the agents who spoke out about the corruption within the ATF.
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