(Ken Silva, Headline USA) An Assistant U.S. Attorney was recently arrested for assault, but had the charged drop after telling local police officers that he or she was a federal prosecutor, according to a report earlier this month from the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General.
“A then-Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) was arrested for assault and attempted to misuse the AUSA’s position as an AUSA by making reference to being a federal prosecutor during the AUSA’s interaction with local police officers. The charge against the AUSA was subsequently dismissed,” stated the DOJ-OIG’s one-page Dec. 5 report.
“The OIG investigation substantiated the allegation that the then-AUSA attempted to misuse the AUSA’s official position in a manner that was intended to induce local police officers to provide the AUSA a benefit, in violation of federal regulation.”
The report added that the AUSA retired before the DOJ-OIG could compel him or her for an interview. When later contacted for a voluntary interview, the AUSA declined, the report said.
“The OIG does not have the authority to compel or subpoena testimony from former Department employees, including those who retire or resign during the course of an OIG investigation,” the report noted.
“The OIG has completed its investigation and is providing this report to the EOUSA for its information and to the Department’s Professional Misconduct Review Unit for appropriate action.”
Also on Dec. 5, the DOJ-OIG released a separate report on an FBI employee who allegedly leaked information about agents who died in the field.
In that report, the DOJ-OIG said it substantiated an allegation that an FBI legal attaché sent photographs of FBI special agents killed in the line of duty to a member of the news media without authorization, in violation of FBI policy.
“The OIG investigation also found that the Legal Attaché misused a government computer to obtain the photographs, in violation of FBI policy,” the report added.
“The OIG investigation further found that the Legal Attaché made false statements to the OIG and failed to cooperate fully in the OIG investigation of this matter, in violation of federal law and regulations, as well as FBI policy.”
That FBI employee also retired amidst the DOJ-OIG’s investigation. Criminal prosecution against the FBI leaker was also declined, the report said.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
