FBI Raids Office, Home Of US Special Counsel

FBI agents today executed search warrants at the Office of Special Counsel in Washington, shutting down the office’s email service and seizing computers and documents. Scott Bloch, who heads the Office, is apparently the target of the raid. Bloch’s suburban Virginia home was also raided.

The independent agency has the responsibility of enforcing protection of federal civil service employees from politicization. Bloch has been under investigation since 2005 in connection with employees’ claims that he retaliated against them after it was leaked that he refused to investigate whistleblower cases which claimed sexual orientation-based discrimination. He is also under investigation for obstruction of justice in connection with hiring of an outside contractor to scrub his computer in December 2006. At the same time, his office has been investigating the firings of eight US Attorneys and he has complained to AG Michael Mukasey that the DOJ is impeding his office’s investigation. WSJ, AP, NPR.