Mueller quizzed on whistle-blower, AFT tiff

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, sparred with FBI chief Robert Mueller about a proposal Grassley said would have stripped protections for FBI whistle-blowers.

Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, also quizzed Mueller Wednesday about tensions between the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives during a committee oversight hearing.

In February, Grassley said, he co-sponsored the Whistle-blower Protection Enhancement Act, legislation that updated whistle-blower protection for all government employees. However, substitute language was offered later that stripped protections for FBI employees.

Grassley asked Mueller whether he knew of any FBI involvement in drafting the substitute language. Mueller said he did not.

Mueller also said he thought the FBI whistle-blower protection is important.

"And, as we have discussed, every year, I send out an e-mail to persons saying I will not abide, tolerate the retribution," Mueller said. "(Anytime) I get a claim of whistle-blower status, I send it immediately to the inspector general, so that there is no conflict of interest."

Mueller said he would have to get back to Grassley concerning specific questions about the whistle-blower provisions.

Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., supported Grassley's questioning concerning the whistle-blower statue.

"The senator from Iowa has been as much a leader on these whistle-blower matters as any senator of either party," Leahy said. "And I will work with you on that."

Concerning cooperation problems between the FBI and the ATF, Grassley said it didn't seem jurisdictional tussles have been resolved since he asked about them last year.

"(Have) the jurisdictional problems been resolved?" Grassley said.

"We have jointly investigated any number of places and done it exceptionally well," Mueller responded. "(The) ability not to get along is the exception in my mind and not necessarily the rule."