Washington, D.C. July 18, 2006. The Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility (“OPR”) found that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) violated the Whistleblower Protection Act and engaged in a “prohibited reprisal” against FBI Supervisory Special Agent/Unit Chief Bassem Youssef in retaliation for his “protected” whistleblower “disclosure.”

The OPR report, released today by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), concluded as follows: “Based on the results of our investigation” OPR found “sufficient” “evidence to establish reasonable cause to believe that the FBI’s failure to [place Mr. Youssef in an operational counterterrorism position] was retaliatory.” OPR Report, p. 12.

 Mr. Stephen Kohn, the President of the National Whistleblowers Center and Mr. Youssef’s lead attorney issued the following statement: “DOJ OPR got it right: the FBI’s failure to assign its highest ranking Arabic speaking agent to fight on the front lines in the War on Terror was reckless and retaliatory.”

• U.S. Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility
  Report of Investigation of Whistleblower Allegations by Federal Bureau of Investigation;
  Special Agent Bassem Youssef Finding Retaliation by the FBI