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Chief Deputy Quits Amid Plummeting Morale At Office Of Special Counsel
Is there anyone over at the Office of Special Counsel who is still loyal to thier boss, Scott Bloch?
Apparently bad morale reaches all the way up Bloch's inner circle.
The Special Counsel's top deputy, Jim Byrne, resigned yesterday and we heard it's due to frustrations with his boss -- and the White House's apparent refusal to take any action.
NPR heard the same thing:
Sources close to Byrne describe this as a resignation in protest over the way the office has been run under Special Counsel Scott Bloch.
Bloch, appointed to be Washington's top investigator for allegations of retaliating against whislteblowers, has struggled ever since he came under investigation for retaliating against whislteblowers himself.
That FBI raid was pretty embarrassing.
Byrne didn't mention Bloch at all in his terse farewell email to colleagues:
Colleagues,As you may have heard, I am resigning my career Senior Executive Service position as Deputy Special Counsel effective July 19, 2008. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded during my time at OSC, and I leave with a deep admiration for all of you -- the men and women who dedicate their lives to safeguarding the merit system and to protecting federal employees from prohibited personnel practices. Please let me know if there is anything that I need to tend to prior to my departure. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
All the best,
Jim
A spokesman for Bloch's office did not return a call for comment.
By our count, Bloch has been through at least three deputies since he took office in 2004.
Jim Byrne has only been with OSC since early 2007. Prior to that he seems to have earned a good reputation as an IG inspector. He had the potential to do a lot for veterans that come to OSC for help with employment issues. Note that his resignation comes shortly after issuing a threatening letter to the Dept of Justice. The letter says OSC plans to expand the probe of DoJ hiring practices and seek disciplinary action. It was clearly another political move by Bloch. And the letter came a week after DoJ snubbed Scott Bloch by canceling a seminar on electronic evidence (apparently not wanting to give Bloch any helpful hints on how to wipe evidence). Bloch is like a man soaked in gasoline playing with matches. Byrne obviously doesn't want to burn his career by sticking around. One has to wonder why others at OSC are sticking around for the wiener roast.
July 11, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink