By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com When all is said and done, the FBI deserves praise for its swift resolution in the Boston Marathon bombing. As one agent told me, the FBI showed what it’s made of by kicking some butt. Critics say the agency dropped the ball. They say the FBI had reason to suspect that…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com President Obama is dismissing criticism that the FBI mishandled the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, the Associated Press reports. The comments come as Republicans prepare for an oversight hearing on the investigation. “There are going to be times where individuals decide they want to cause harm to people for crazy…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Charges have been dropped against the Mississippi man accused of sending ricin-tainted letters to President Obama and other public officials, NBC News reports. “I respect President Obama and love my country. I would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other U.S. official,” Paul Kevin Curtis said at a news…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com An independent watchdog group for the Justice Department is investigating claims that President Obama’s nominee to head the ATF retaliated against a whistleblower, the Roll Call reports. B. Todd Jones is accused of suspending an employee in retaliation for lodging a complaint. Carolyn N. Lerner, the head of the Office of…
Aaron C. Davis and Sari Horwitz Washington Post WASHINGTON — A letter addressed to President Obama containing a substance that initially tested positive for the toxin ricin was intercepted Tuesday by authorities at a remote White House mail screening facility, according to the FBI. The letter follows the discovery Tuesday of a ricin-laced letter…
By Tim Shorrock The Nation In the annals of national security, the Obama administration will long be remembered for its unprecedented crackdown on whistleblowers. Since 2009, it has employed the World War I–era Espionage Act a record six times to prosecute government officials suspected of leaking classified information. The latest example is John Kiriakou, a…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com President Obama plans to appoint a veteran Secret Service official to oversee the agency, Reuters reports. David O’Connor, a former assistant director of investigations who retired last year, is Obama’s pick for the post, which protects the president and other top federal officials, Reuters wrote. Senate confirmation is not required. Reuters wrote…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A Washington state man is in custody after the FBI notified the Secret Service of emails threats against President Obama, Reuters reports. The Secret Service described the emails from Anton Caluori, 31, as alarming but didn’t elaborate. Agents found Caluori brandishing a shotgun when they arrived at his home south of Seattle…
