Report Says ATF Was Ordered by Then-Chief to Help on Homework
The man who resigned in August as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had ordered his staff to help with his nephew’s high school homework, violating ethics rules, says a report released Wednesday.
Carl J. Truscott’s handling of the high school project -- a documentary about the ATF that took 10 months to complete -- demonstrated mismanagement and was among half a dozen lapses in judgment, according to the report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine. Staffers accused Truscott of wasting federal money, taking costly trips and creating a hostile work environment.
Investigators said they were troubled by Truscott’s leadership, hiring practices and financial decisions, including his plan to spend $100,000 on gym equipment for the new headquarters.
Truscott could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But in a Sept. 25 letter to Fine, he said the report’s draft was negative in tone and relied on anonymous second-guessers.
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