Trump promotes CBP whistleblowers who called out failure to collect criminal DNA at border
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is elevating three Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers who sounded the alarm more than seven years ago about their agency not collecting fingerprints from detainees, potentially letting thousands of criminals loose into the US.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that CBP agents Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor and Mark Jones will now hold supervisory roles and receive seven years of backpay and retirement benefits after paying an “unjust price” for flagging that collection practices had run afoul of federal law since 2009.“These men had the courage and patriotism to speak up against the Biden Administration’s deliberate efforts to destroy our national security.They paid an unjust price for doing so — betrayed by an administration that protected lawbreakers and punished law enforcement,” Noem said.“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are restoring what is right and true and getting these patriots back to doing the work they love.”Sen.
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) spearheaded the effort to reinstate the trio of “brave” whistleblowers for noting in February 2018 that DHS wasn’t abiding by the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.“Today is a victory for Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor, Mark Jones and the rule of law.At long last, these patriotic men will be made whole again,” Grassley said.
“I’m very grateful to the leadership at the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, who worked with me to bring these whistleblowers back to their rightful roles,” he added.“Once again, the Trump administration has shown its respect for people that blow the whistle on wrongdoing.”During the first Trump administration, US Office of Special Counsel Henry Kerner informed the president and Congress in August 2019 that the “agency’s noncompliance with the law has allowed subjects subsequently accused of violent crimes, including homicide and sexual assault, to elude detection eve...