Security News > 2011 > May > Salt Lake FBI office has serious lapses that could jeopardize national security, sources say
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15493695 Lori Prichard reporting produced by Kelly Just May 10th, 2011 SALT LAKE CITY -- A pattern of long-term and ongoing problems inside the regional headquarters of the FBI in Salt Lake City could have catastrophic consequences to national security, sources connected to the FBI say. Nearly a dozen self-described whistleblowers -- including those with strong ties to the FBIâs Salt Lake field office -- have come forward to expose potentially serious security breaches, including the removal of classified documents from the office contrary to strict FBI protocol. "It's a huge deal," one FBI source said. "We're talking about the pinnacle of law enforcement. And theyâve got corruption inside their own office." "The actions that Salt Lake City is taking definitely could jeopardize national security," another FBI source said. Concerns over security protocol, records access These whistleblowers were interviewed as part of a yearlong investigation by KSL News, which was able to corroborate much of what each source reported by conducting individual interviews without the knowledge of other sources. These individuals spoke on the condition that their identities be protected. The sources provided details of multiple violations of internal FBI policies, including lax oversight of highly classified documents stored inside the Salt Lake City officeâs Secret Compartmented Information Facility; the failure to enforce rules that restrict access to areas where classified documents are kept; violations of policies that govern the issuance of FBI credentials; and concerns that high-level FBI officials may have covered up a formal complaint of security violations. [...]