Click here to see who won the races where you live Texas (KVII) — Amarillo Chief of Police Martin Birkenfeld is out after supporting a football coach convicted of federal child sex crimes after nearly 35 years with the Amarillo Police Department Underwood admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl at least 10 times in his school office Birkenfeld asked him to "consider Cole's lack of a criminal history and his redeeming qualities when assessing his sentence." Following a nearly three hour special meeting Friday morning Mayor Cole Stanley announced City Manager Grayson Path was finalizing a separation agreement with Birkenfeld "The community is ready to move forward," said Stanley "We appreciate everyone's patience and allowing us to walk this out with integrity and respect for all involved." Birkenfeld joined the department in November 1990 Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Johnson will serve as acting police chief "until further notice." The city said it will begin the process of selecting a new police chief in the coming weeks After a three-hour closed meeting at city hall on Friday morning Mayor Cole Stanley announced that the Amarillo City Manager Grayson Path is working to finalize a separation agreement with Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld Following the closed session with the council weighing any actions on Birkenfield Stanley made a statement about the meeting “Council is in full support of our city manager and how he has handled this issue,” said Stanley “Both parties are finalizing the separation and will issue a joint press release and statement soon We expect this to be fully resolved quickly And the community is ready to move forward We appreciate everyone’s patience and allowing us to walk this out with integrity and respect for all involved In a news release the city issued at 3 p.m the city said it "has mutually agreed to part ways with Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld who has served as the Chief since May of 2020 Chief Birkenfeld has elected to retire from the City of Amarillo effective February 21 after nearly 35 years of service to the Amarillo Police Department." Chief Birkenfeld recognizes as a public servant in a leadership role actions taken in a private capacity can influence confidence in law enforcement," the release continued "Maintaining that trust is something both the City and Chief Birkenfeld take seriously and therefore have made this decision after careful consideration and discussions with the intent to provide finality and to move the department and community forward as quickly as possible." The city "recognizes his contributions for his decades of service to Amarillo" and said it will begin the process of selecting a new police chief in the coming weeks Earlier in the week, Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson was appointed acting chief of APD following scrutiny over Birkenfeld's involvement in a legal case The city said Johnson will continue to serve in that role in the interim Birkenfeld, who has served as chief since 2020, wrote a letter in the sentencing of Cole Underwood, a former Perryton High School coach convicted of sexual misconduct involving a minor the letter supporting the defendant was read in court during the sentencing hearing The Amarillo Police Department stated that Birkenfeld wrote the letter in a personal capacity and did not reference his position within the department Birkenfeld has been with the Amarillo Police Department since 1990 holding various leadership roles before becoming chief ACUFF — Brooklyn Birkenfeld has experienced the full gambit during her three-year career with the Nazareth girls basketball team the 6-foot post came off the bench to be the Swiftettes' top option in the paint surrounded by veteran guards Birkenfeld earned all-tournament honors while helping Nazareth win the program's record-extending 25th state championship Fast forward two years and Birkenfeld is the known commodity on an otherwise young team During Monday's Region I-1A Division II semifinal matchup at Roosevelt High School Sands knew Birkenfeld was going to be a load and did what it could to slow her down surrounding her with multiple bodies on every paint touch keeping the ball out of her hands as much as possible Birkenfeld has refined her game and matured Where once tough catches and physicality may have bothered her it's now part of being the catalyst for the Swiftettes She scored Nazareth's first nine points and Birkenfeld may have gone for more than her game-high 22 points in a 56-21 thumping by the Swiftettes Nazareth (26-9) is back in the region championship the same round seven of last year's seniors saw their respective careers come to an end but also knows the exhilaration of winning the whole dang thing She's using both as her motivation in her senior year "This year we're trying to work on building more energy," Birkenfeld said it's just a lot of fun getting to play with all those girls and just using that loss from last year Region finals are run-of-the-mill for the Swiftettes though it was Sands (20-14) that halted Nazareth's streak of region final appearances back in 2022 when the Stangs won their own state title With the game well in hand after the first quarter head coach Eric Schilling said he wasn't concerned about his team's mentality or taking their foot off the gas "Through district they've played in some games where they've had big leads," Schilling said "We try not to worry about what the score is and we don't ever want to relax because if you do that against the wrong team disciplined team and they know how to handle those games and we're going to hold them accountable They'll hold themselves accountable as well." This year's group is focused on attacking the paint with their three 6-foot posts with starters Emerson Moore and Birkenfeld (the only two seniors on the team) and Lexi Ramaekers (14 points) off the bench "It's great because we don't just rely on one person," Birkenfeld said we know that we can score from a different part of the court It's just really great because everybody knows their job and everyone does their job in the best way that they can I feel like that goes in to our team chemistry and our teamwork being good." Schilling said the Swiftettes are a capable 3-point shooting team though only needed one outside bucket from Madison Brockman (10 points) against Sands The rest of the work was done near the basket with Birkenfeld showing off her refined touch and ability to shield off the defense for the bucket "She would always seem like she would catch teams off guard," Schilling said of Birkenfeld's sophomore year "Now everybody knows about her and she's learned to just play more under control where she knows if they're crashing down on her "But she's just such a great leader for the entire team Texas (KVII) — Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld was suspended While no formal announcement was made about the suspension or the reason(s) for it the city told ABC 7 the change in leadership was made Monday and is effective "until further notice." Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Johnson was named acting chief of police was read in federal court during Underwood's sentencing hearing Birkenfeld asked Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk to "consider Cole's lack of a criminal history and his redeeming qualities when assessing his sentence." Underwood was sentenced to 30 years in prison ABC 7 News reached out to the city and Mayor Cole Stanley for comment Absolutely no comment," until after Friday's special meeting There is only one item on the agenda - "Discuss the appointment or dismissal of a public officer or employee: Chief of Police Martin Birkenfeld." Birkenfeld has been with APD for more than 34 years The city declined our request to speak with Birkenfeld and City Manager Grayson Path "No further information or interview opportunities are available (until after Friday's meeting)," said a city spokesperson The finalized separation agreement of the city of Amarillo's separation agreement with Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld marked the third high-profile leadership departure under the current City Council. Birkenfeld's retirement, effective Feb. 21, 2025 follows controversy surrounding his involvement in a letter of support for Cole Underwood a former athletic director convicted of enticement of a minor Birkenfeld wrote a letter to the presiding judge asking for leniency in Underwood's sentencing citing the “totality of the circumstances,” and describing Underwood as a “good kid” with no prior criminal record was later revealed to have sexually abused a child and his 30-year federal prison sentence was accompanied by a lifetime of supervised release The fallout from Birkenfeld’s actions led to public outcry and ensures Birkenfeld will receive full pay and accrued benefits up until his retirement date both Birkenfeld and the City of Amarillo have agreed not to pursue any claims against each other and to refrain from making disparaging remarks Birkenfeld’s personnel file will be marked “eligible for rehire,” and he will remain eligible for reserve officer status ensuring his institutional knowledge is available should the department need it in the future The city’s approach to leadership changes under scrutinyThe high-profile departures have sparked significant debate among Amarillo residents, many of whom view these financial packages as excessive. Mayor Cole Stanley addressed concerns raised during a recent city council meeting, stressing that the separation of the police chief was handled by the city manager’s office, not by the council. “The chief of police doesn’t work for the council — our only employee is the city manager, who hires and fires that position,” Stanley said. “It was crucial for us to agree to this separation, and we stand behind our city manager in working that out in the best way possible.” Despite Stanley’s defense, many residents remain uneasy about the financial implications of these agreements, especially in light of Birkenfeld’s controversial departure. While some view the settlements as an unfortunate but necessary step to avoid lengthy legal disputes, others question whether these high payouts are justified given the circumstances. In the wake of Birkenfeld’s departure, Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson has been appointed interim police chief. Johnson, a long-serving officer with the department, is expected to hold the role for at least six months. The city will determine whether to conduct an external search for a new chief or consider internal candidates. “We want to make sure we maintain the momentum we’ve built in the department,” Mayor Stanley said. “Chief Johnson is more than capable of running the show, and morale remains strong.” The final decision on a permanent police chief will be made by City Manager Grayson Path and Deputy City Manager Andrew Freeman, with input from the city council. Stanley emphasized that the council’s role will be to provide guidance and advisory oversight. Amarillo police chief Martin Birkenfeld retired Feb 21 after 35 years in law enforcement following the city's announcement that a separation agreement was reached Texas (KVII) — Former Amarillo police chief Martin Birkenfeld was paid $175,000 to retire after supporting a convicted child predator According to the settlement agreement obtained by ABC 7 News the city agreed to pay Birkenfeld "all pay and benefits owed as of Feb according to records obtained by ABC 7 News ABC 7 News filed a separate open records request for a copy of Birkenfeld's final contract Birkenfeld asked the judge to "consider Cole's lack of a criminal history and his redeeming qualities when assessing his sentence." actions taken in a private capacity can influence confidence in law enforcement," said the city in a news release on Feb He is eligible for rehire and to serve as a reserve officer Both sides agreed not to discuss the terms of the settlement They were only made public after ABC 7 News filed an open records request Assistant Police Chief Jimmy Johnson is serving as acting police chief "until further notice Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson has been appointed acting chief of the Amarillo Police Department The decision comes ahead of a scheduled city meeting at 8 a.m where officials will discuss the employment status of Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld More: Amarillo Police Department promotes four officers The meeting agenda includes a closed-session discussion regarding the “appointment or dismissal of a public officer or employee.” While the agenda does not explicitly name Birkenfeld the discussion follows scrutiny over his involvement in a legal case wrote a letter in the sentencing of Cole Underwood a former Perryton High School coach convicted of sexual misconduct involving a minor City officials have not confirmed whether Friday’s meeting will result in a permanent leadership change Texas (KVII) — Amarillo police chief Martin Birkenfeld has retired after 35 years in law enforcement following the city's announcement that a separation agreement was reached Birkenfeld has been with the Amarillo Police Department since 1990 and was promoted to police chief in 2020 “Council is in full support of our City Manager and how he has handled this issue,” said Stanley “We appreciate everyone’s patience in allowing us to walk this out with integrity and respect for all involved.” former Athletic Director and football coach at Perryton High School Underwood pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor and was convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor “Sounds as if the city council has taken up the consequences side of that action and made some decisions that were going to be hearing some more detail on,” Michael Ford the City of Amarillo issued a release that Birkenfeld has elected to retire after nearly 35 years in law enforcement assistant police chief Jimmy Johnson will serve as the Acting Chief of Police as the city is launching a search to hire a new police chief Texas (KVII) — Taxpayers are upset about the city's decision to pay former Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld $175,000 to retire after supporting a convicted child predator Residents expressed their frustration on our Facebook page ABC 7 News contacted Mayor Cole Stanley about the controversial payout "The chief of police works directly underneath our city manager and deputy manager," said Stanley "Councils' role in this was to support the decision fully that was made by staff in separating with Chief Birkenfeld." "After careful consideration and discussions this decision was made with the intent to provide finality and move the department and community forward as quickly as possible." The city said the issue is a personnel matter and declined additional comment The letter was read in federal court before Underwood was sentenced to 30 years in prison for having an illicit relationship with a student ABC 7 News continues to seek answers regarding the financial settlement Texas (KVII) — Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld was celebrated by Caprock High School as he received the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award Birkenfeld returned to his alma mater to accept the honor "A lot of nostalgia to be back in the halls here and walking the commons brought back lots of memories," Birkenfeld said "Some things are exactly the same as they were 37 years ago Birkenfeld began his law enforcement career immediately after high school and attributes much of his success to his educators and mentors and I got here through mentorship and that combination is what we need in the world," he said "Education not only at Caprock High School but moving onto higher education and learning what I needed to know to be successful as a leader But mentorship is equally as important and so I've had many mentors over the years that helped me understand what my role was and helped encourage and point me in the right direction to be successful." expressed her pride in seeing her former student honored because it shows me over the years the people that have influenced him have made a huge difference in his life," Clements said it meant a lot to me to see him in that position." Birkenfeld expressed his gratitude for the recognition from his alma mater "It was a great school; I learned so much I have to credit a lot of things that have gone well in my life to my education and Amarillo Independent School District and especially Caprock High School," he said Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAMARILLO Texas (KFDA) - The City of Amarillo appointed Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson as Interim Chief of Police after parting with former Chief Birkenfeld After Martin Birkenfeld came under fire for writing a letter of support for convicted child sex offender Cole Underwood, the City of Amarillo announced a mutual parting of ways Birkenfeld retired and left the Amarillo Police Department leaving Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson in the interim the City of Amarillo officially announced the appointment and set out a timeline for the appointment for selecting the next chief of police the city will finalize and issue a request for proposals to search for firms with expertise in law enforcement recruitment the city will enter into an agreement with the selected firms and begin developing material for the search the process is expected to launch after the adoption of the 2025/2026 budget interviews and public engagement will take place between October and December The city anticipates appointing the next chief of police by January of 2026 The City of Amarillo will hold an interview with the Deputy City Manager and Interim Chief Jimmy Johnson on Monday March 24 to discuss the upcoming process of choosing the new police chief for the Amarillo Police Department A boil water notice due to bacterial contamination has been extended to 35 communities near the U.S Birkenfeld District officials announced Sunday The Army’s drinking water supply is separate and unaffected by the order service officials said in a message Friday when the first 12 areas were put under notice This is the second such warning from the district since August civilian workers and their families live in the rural villages and towns near the installations where in the coming years the Army is moving its special operations forces from Stuttgart New construction and renovations at the bases are expected to cost approximately $1 billion the following villages in the Birkenfeld association of municipalities were added to the notice: Siesbach Hoppstädten-Weiersbach with the districts of Neubrücke Niederwörresbach has been under the boil water notice since Thursday Several more areas were added Sunday: Herborn Most of Baumholder’s association of 14 communities were put under the boil water notice Friday Only the villages of Reichenbach and Frauenberg were exempted because they receive their water from a different source according to the Idar-Oberstein health department order The boil water notice in the affected areas applies to any water used for drinking or meal preparation Water used for brushing teeth or medical care also should be boiled according to a Birkenfeld District statement A Jan. 4 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows an apparent screenshot answering a question about the country’s highest civilian honor “Can a president rescind the medal of freedom,” reads the post a president can rescind the Presidential Medal of Freedom there have been instances where a president has revoked this honor.” President Joe Biden revoked the Medal of Freedom awarded to former President Donald Trump’s campaign manager The decision to rescind such an honor typically involves significant controversy or actions by the recipient that are seen as contrary to the values the medal represents.” The post was liked more than 1,000 times in nine days. Similar posts were shared on X More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: FalseBirkenfeld was never awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and there’s no evidence he was ever President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign manager Presidents can’t revoke the award after it has been given Presidents can't rescind Medal of Freedom awardsBirkenfeld, a former banker for the Swiss bank UBS, was sentenced to 40 months in prison in 2009 for helping a billionaire real estate developer in the U.S evade $7.2 million in taxes by concealing $200 million of assets hidden offshore in Switzerland and Liechtenstein Fact check: No, Biden administration didn't block firefighting aircraft during LA visit The response to the question in the Instagram post appears to be from Grok, X’s AI chatbot. But xAI’s website says Grok “may provide inaccurate or inappropriate information.” “Because Grok has been trained on publicly available information, which may sometimes include misleading or factually inaccurate information, Grok may at times include in its responses misleading or factually incorrect information based upon that public information,” the website says In early January, Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire political activist and philanthropist George Soros, as USA TODAY previously reported USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response PolitiFact also debunked the claim Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta Both the Army and German officials lifted the order to boil drinking water Thursday following precautionary measures taken earlier in the week due to contamination concerns Water tests for bacteria taken on Smith Barracks on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday indicate that the water on base is safe for human consumption Baumholder officials said on Facebook about 2 p.m Residents are advised to flush all faucets in their homes for five minutes prior to drinking to clear any stagnant water which includes Baumholder and surrounding villages lifted its order to boil drinking water in 53 of the district’s 96 municipalities The order was issued Monday after enterococcus bacteria found in a water treatment at Herrstein-Rhaunen indicated fecal contamination The boil-water order continued for days as workers tested the water Texas (KVII) — Amarillo is looking for a new police chief After more than 33 years with the Amarillo Police Department the last four as chief,Martin Birkenfeld is being promoted to a newly created position Birkenfeld will be Managing Director of Public Safety Birkenfeld will oversee the Amarillo Police Department and Amarillo Emergency Communications Center "These departments frequently work together in the field on emergencies but also on long-term projects," said interim City Manager Andrew Freeman in a letter to city leaders that was obtained by ABC 7 News "The City of Amarillo and our citizens will benefit from this organizational change through a more cohesive work team in public safety." Birkenfeld began his career with APD in November 1990. He was named chief in May 2020 "The Managing Director of Public Safety role will be a standalone position unlike our other Managing Directors that are also the lead director for their main departments I wanted the person chosen to be able to have an unbiased approach to any of the departments they oversee," said Freeman Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson will serve as the interim chief "I'm excited about Jimmy Johnson," Mayor Cole Stanley told ABC 7 News when contacted for comment about the changes but I'm a supporter of him for that position." According to his Linked-in page Johnson has been with APD for nearly 36 years "My intent is for this to remain an interim assignment until City Council completes their permanent city manager search which is expected to be completed in May or June," said Freeman we will revisit the process for filling the permanent chief of police vacancy." The changes will be officially announced sometime next week The city of Amarillo announced Friday that Martin Birkenfeld a 30-year veteran of the Amarillo Police Department has been named the department’s new chief of police The announcement comes after former Amarillo Police Chief Ed Drain left his position in Feburary to take the chief position with the Plano Police Department He recently served as assistant chief of the operations bureau and has also served in other supervisory and command positions “The Amarillo Police Department has been my career for 30 years,” Birkenfeld said in the news release “I consider it an honor and a privilege to lead the Amarillo Police Department which has a standard of excellence and commitment to the community that I look forward to maintaining and improving.” Birkenfeld was selected from a field of five finalists those other finalists were Stan Standridge the current chief of police for the Abilene Police Department; Brad McKeone the current deputy chief of police for the Coral Springs Police Department in Florida; Greg Stevens the current chief of police in Rockport; and Ken Funtek a 28-year veteran of the Amarillo Police Department who is currently the assistant chief of the operations bureau qualifications and experience necessary to lead the Amarillo Police Department,” city of Amarillo City Manager Jared Miller said in the release “His career with the APD has been exceptional and we look forward to his leadership in the department and in the community.” For more information about the Amarillo Police Department, visit www.amarillo.gov/departments/public-safety-and-organizational-services/police Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Home » Bradley Birkenfeld Tells His Whistleblower Story To donate to the Whistleblower Network News, please visit: whistleblowersblog.org/support IUBS Whistleblower and recipient of $104M reward from the IRS Whistleblower Reward Program one of the largest rewards ever paid to a whistleblower was the first international banker to blow the whistle on illegal offshore accounts held in Switzerland by U.S For his disclosures of IRS tax fraud by UBS the largest reward ever given to an individual in the 25-year history of federal whistleblower reward laws drumming up public support from thousands of engaged members of its action alert network His disclosures have resulted in unprecedented recoveries for the U.S The recoveries include $780 million dollars in civil fines and penalties paid by UBS bank and over $25 billion dollars in collections from U.S taxpayers who had illegally held “undeclared” offshore accounts in Switzerland and other countries the Swiss government was forced to change its tax treaty with the United States in order to turn over the names of more than 4,900 American taxpayers who held illegal offshore accounts Please enter your username or email address to reset your password The Nazareth girls basketball team winning state titles though this year that last one wasn't a given The Swiftettes didn't win in 2023 and lost starter Harley Gerber to a season-ending injury in the Region I-1A final They had many more close calls then they were used to but managed to bring home the 1A trophy all the same It helps when you have the Amarillo Globe-News Newcomer of the Year on your team Sophomore Brooklyn Birkenfeld was an easy choice for that honor Although there were plenty of excellent newcomers to choose from none of them were the leading scorer for a state championship team despite not being a starter and getting moved up to varsity this year Birkenfeld managed to average 11 points and five rebounds per contest while helping lead Nazareth to another banner year I never thought coming up on varsity as a sophomore that this would happen.” Maybe she had a small idea since winning seems to run in the family Brooklyn's grandmother Glenda was on the first ever state championship team at Nazareth her cousin Chloe is her teammate on this year's state title team and her other cousin Tanner was a member of last year's state runner up baseball team she's part of that winning tradition not only at Nazareth "Ever since I first saw Nazareth girls play basketball I couldn’t wait to be able to do it myself," Brooklyn said "It’s crazy and unreal for it to finally happen and my family has been with me the whole way along with my teammates and coaches.” wasn't surprised at all to see the level of success Brooklyn was able to achieve so early on He could tell from the beginning that she was certain of the player she wanted to be and proceeded to go out and become that offensive threat “She figured out her role pretty early in terms of figuring out the things she can do for us," Schilling said "She just has a knack for being able to score She’s such a strong kid and finishes well around the basket and she’s a really tough matchup especially when you can bring her in off the bench.” Schilling added how ecstatic he is to have Brooklyn back for two more years but this is the same team that reloads every single year and goes out to win another title is ready to get to work to add one more to the trophy case “Getting those next two state championship gold medals is going to be the goal," she said I can’t wait to be able to play with this team the next two years I’m really excited to see what this team can do together in the future.” Bradley Birkenfeld was released from federal prison in August 2012 after serving 2½ years for his role as a Swiss banker hiding millions of dollars for wealthy American clients he found himself in the kitchen of a small rental house in Raymond infamous in a famously discreet profession and probably unemployable as a private banker anywhere But then his lawyer walked into the room Treasury to Birkenfeld for $104 million—minus taxes On the face was a picture of the Statue of Liberty It was Birkenfeld's cut as a whistleblower of the massive settlement his former employer—the Swiss bank UBS—had paid to the United States government in a settlement for helping Americans dodge taxes he was transformed from convicted felon to government-made multimillionaire "It was vindication," Birkenfeld said Birkenfeld has a new rental house by the ocean in New Hampshire and a collection of pricy vintage hockey gear to display in his own Boston Bruins luxury box He's made charitable contributions in his community And he's planning to open a sports museum But Birkenfeld, 50, a big man with a brash style and a temper, isn't done with the U.S. Department of Justice to force the government to explain why it was so aggressive in prosecuting him but let nearly everyone else involved in the scam get off with light penalties or none at all Now Birkenfeld is telling his story exclusively to CNBC out of prison and soon to be removed from federal probation he says he's now free to explain how he came to be the man who ended the tradition of bank secrecy and got rich in the process Read More The Swiss bank whistleblower who won't accept no American investigators soon followed the trail of hidden money to banks in Israel the IRS offered a series of compliance programs designed to lure Americans to confess their secret offshore accounts and pay hefty penalties in exchange for a promise they would not be sent to jail Some 50,000 Americans have taken the IRS up on that offer Shocked by just how rampant offshore tax dodging was, Congress passed a law in 2010 designed to force banks around the world to disclose accounts held by Americans to the IRS banks affected by the law must begin disclosing that information to the U.S It has gotten much harder to hide money in secret foreign bank accounts And the experts give a large part of the credit to Birkenfeld "We're on the verge of an environment where offshore bank secrecy is essentially dead," said Scott Michel an attorney with the law firm Caplin & Drysdale in Washington His firm has represented more than 1,000 American clients who have disclosed secret accounts to the government in the wake of Birkenfeld's disclosures "I think the game is over," Michel said But the whistleblower himself doesn't think the U.S Why did the Department of Justice not press the Swiss banks for the names of all of the Americans who had secret accounts there Why did the IRS design a compliance program that allowed 50,000 Americans to admit they broke the law but remain safely anonymous protected from embarrassment of admitting guilt government is still enabling the wealthy and powerful Americans who hid their fortunes in Switzerland: CEOs movie stars and even American political figures It's one of the great mysteries of the entire saga: Out of the tens of thousands of Americans who hid money overseas the government has only indicted or charged a relative handful Read MoreWhy this Swiss bank whistleblower can't leave US he is still holding information close to the vest He will not name the clients who he turned over to the government only one has been charged and publicly named The Justice Department declined to answer specific questions submitted by CNBC Birkenfeld is not the only one criticizing the Justice Department A damning 2014 report by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations criticized the department for failing to even obtain the names of Americans who had secret accounts despite the extensive legal wrangling with UBS and other banks The report found that of the 22,000 Americans who had Swiss accounts at Credit Suisse government got the names of only about 230 clients "did not use any of the authorities and remedies available to it in U.S client names and account information directly from Credit Suisse." There is probably no one angrier about all of that than Birkenfeld Sitting in his luxury box at the Boston Garden as his beloved Bruins got set to play the Buffalo Sabres Birkenfeld reflected on his own personality when many others would be happy to spend their millions in a luxury retirement "I'm a hammer looking for nails," Birkenfeld said Because I'm relentless and I'm resourceful and I will get the job done." is his feeling of schadenfreude over the pain he believes the massive payout caused his antagonists inside the U.S One more thing: Birkenfeld got $104 million But he and his lawyers are working to get more money the youngest of three boys of a neurosurgeon father He fell into the finance industry as a summer intern at State Street Bank in Boston ultimately working as a trader for institutional pension plans It was there that Birkenfeld said he had his first brush with whistleblowing Birkenfeld said he discovered irregularities in the procedures at the bank He began to keep copies of relevant documents at home "The problem was that they weren't willing to admit fault." were able to find fault in Birkenfeld: They put him on probation He added that executives began circulating critical stories about him A spokeswoman for State Street confirmed Birkenfeld's employment at the firm but was unable to substantiate his account of events decades ago Read MoreWhistleblowing on Wall Street: The untapped jackpot Birkenfeld said he went to the FBI with what he knew But he found the FBI agents didn't have a grasp of the intricacies of banking "They were totally clueless," he said He got an MBA at the American Graduate School of Business alongside Lake Geneva in La Tour-de-Peilz then a couple of years later to Barclays where One of the clients he made contact with was billionaire American real estate developer Igor Olenicoff Birkenfeld's mission at UBS was business development for the United States and Birkenfeld was one of a team of bankers sent to lure them in He became one of the very few Americans admitted to the inner sanctum of Swiss bank secrecy Olenicoff pleaded guilty to a count of filing a false tax return admitting tax evasion and paying a $52 million penalty Olenicoff declined to comment through his lawyer Birkenfeld said he began to see clients coming into the bank with a million dollars in a suitcase Specialized couriers bringing cash into Switzerland and turning it over to the bank's clients for deposit He learned that $10,000 in bills was exactly a quarter-of-an-inch thick And he learned that the best banknote for cash transactions was the 1,000 Swiss franc bill "The largest note in the world," Birkenfeld said you could put a half a million dollars in your pocket They didn't ask too many questions about where the money came from "It wasn't our business to know," Birkenfeld said We were bankers." He noticed that many clients tore up receipts of deposit on the spot It's not illegal for Americans to have bank accounts in Switzerland taxpayers must disclose all foreign accounts and pay tax on any earnings in them bankers must be registered with the SEC in the United States before providing investment advice here thousands of American clients were ignoring the tax rules and scores of bankers were traveling back and forth to the U.S to recruit clients without ever registering with the SEC UBS put an enormous effort into identifying and cozying up to the richest people in America The firm targeted families with inherited wealth entrepreneurs who'd cashed out of businesses and even professionals with modest wealth such as doctors UBS strove to put on the best events in the world and lure in billionaires: art festivals Former UBS employees say much of it was organized by a charismatic and smiling colleague they nicknamed "Captain Cocktail." CNBC contacted several former UBS bankers and executives in Switzerland as well as former consultants and advisors outside the bank about life inside the ultra-discreet world of Swiss banking "This (article) concerns a legacy issue for UBS that has been well documented and is many years behind the firm UBS fully and finally resolved all of our U.S cross border issues in November 2010," said a UBS spokeswoman."The business described has been closed since July 2008 with a different strategic focus and senior management team,," she continued Birkenfeld was convicted for aiding and abetting tax fraud and for lying to U.S Following 40 months of prison for conspiracy he remains on supervised leave to this day." UBS knew the billionaires had a lot of choices—invitations to anything and everything They strove to make their events stand out One easy way to do that: parties often had "two women for each gentleman," recalls one event attendee UBS's private wealth team wanted to forge an emotional connection to the clients The goal was to spend a week with a billionaire in St Don't worry about meeting the client at 9 a.m was seeking out the oldest women in the room and then asking for introductions to all the billionaires at the event the day-to-day reality of Swiss banking in Zurich and Geneva could be grimly competitive for the rank and file Many bankers inside the secretive private wealth management unit arrived at their desks by 7 a.m. only to find a worksheet on their desks detailing the previous day's profits and losses It listed every banker's results by name "You had a hit parade that showed this guy was No "Imagine what type of climate that was to work in." The Swiss bankers saw themselves as carrying out a solemn duty to protect their clients' identities it was a point of pride: "Every client was treated the same," says one The bankers were given elaborate instructions on maintaining client privacy it began to feel as if they were becoming undercover agents Birkenfeld provided CNBC with a document he said was handed to bankers in the private wealth division during a training session in order to role play various scenarios they might encounter as they traveled to the U.S The paper encourages UBS bankers to mail sensitive account documents ahead of time to trusted contacts so not to be caught carrying them through U.S It suggests they should not detail client names in their electronic devices and to only note "very short remarks" about the topics for any meetings with American clients managers gave the private-wealth team specially encrypted laptops that could be easily deleted in case U.S 'if ever you run into problems in the U.S and everything will be deleted,' " said the banker But the elaborate efforts to keep the U.S government in the dark began to worry the bankers what we are doing may actually be illegal,' " the banker said "We never were instructed on American law and what was allowed Also worrisome to some of the UBS employees were the identities of the American lawbreakers they were protecting: names that still have not been made public despite years of investigations and it would shock the establishment," said a former UBS insider people who trace their origins to the '20s They're the walking history of the American economy." Birkenfeld said there was an even more secret category of client: American political figures banks are required to treat their political customers with a higher degree of scrutiny in an effort to root out international corruption One set of international guidelines sets aside a separate category of client known as a "politically exposed person," or PEP as well as senior officials of political parties and their close associates and families Birkenfeld said UBS had a specific banking desk to deal with PEP clients "It was another level of secrecy," Birkenfeld said He does not know the names of any American political figures who had secret accounts in Switzerland But he said it was widely discussed inside the bank: "My bosses used to tell us 'If you ever have a PEP it goes to the PEP desk in Zurich,' " Birkenfeld said Other former UBS insiders back up Birkenfeld's account of politically connected Americans inside the bank That's definitely true," said one Birkenfeld said that he has given the names of all of the American clients he has—30 people—to the U.S According to a document compiled in 2013 by the legal team working for Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner—one of the few Swiss bank clients whose name has been made public—just under 50 American clients of offshore banks have been sentenced in the U.S But Warner's team found that nearly 30 were given punishments that included no jail time at all Warner was also sentenced to probation without jail time Birkenfeld served more time in prison than any of them The beginning of the end came for Birkenfeld at UBS after a colleague alerted him to a document posted to an internal server that set new procedures for private bankers which was not called to his attention or mentioned in training was a set of guidelines for bankers that instructed them to do exactly the opposite of what their bosses were telling them to do every day He began to suspect that he and the other bankers were being set up If any of the Swiss bankers were caught in the United States Birkenfeld suspected UBS would point to its internal policies and simply label them "rogue" bankers He carefully printed off a copy of the document and took it home "I grabbed him by the shirt and I said You're putting this document out here and you're not giving me and my colleagues an answer." Birkenfeld said his boss told him not to rock the boat "I said: 'I'll take you outside right now I'll get in a fight with you over this And you've put us in harm's way.' " Birkenfeld said he began to copy and hide UBS documents in Switzerland After a legal battle with the bank over his bonus Birkenfeld began making overtures to the IRS Birkenfeld went almost directly from fighting with his Swiss bosses to fighting with the U.S Birkenfeld's relationship with the Department of Justice was fraught with tension beginning with a dispute over whether he was officially a whistleblower or just a "tipster," as one Department of Justice official referred to him Birkenfeld felt the department did not move aggressively "I coulda done their job," Birkenfeld said "You coulda fired the whole tax division at DOJ Birkenfeld said he offered to wear a wire to record conversations with bankers and clients hotels of UBS bankers in the United States but the DOJ did not tap any of the phones He said he offered to come into the DOJ each month to go through the complicated material but was rebuffed Birkenfeld grew frustrated and angry at the prosecutors he was working with Just go eat another jelly doughnut," Birkenfeld said "It's a prerequisite to be incompetent to work there prosecutors inside the department were coming to the conclusion that Birkenfeld was not being entirely straight with them with the government accusing him of failing to tell the entire truth about one of his clients the California billionaire Igor Olenicoff On his next flight from Zurich to Boston Birkenfeld was arrested as he got off the plane at Logan Airport "I knew I was gonna be arrested," Birkenfeld said Birkenfeld pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy At the sentencing in a federal court in Florida in 2009 government prosecutor Kevin Downing heaped praise on Birkenfeld even as he asked the court to sentence him to jail Birkenfeld walking into the door of the Department of Justice in the summer of 2007 I doubt as of today that this massive fraud scheme would have been discovered by the United States government," Downing said Birkenfeld said he is angry that Downing later left the government and took a job at a law firm where he is defending many of the Americans who had secret accounts Reuters reported that he "expects to advise companies rather than individuals." Downing did not respond to a request for comment for this article The Department of Justice has a variety of ethics guidelines for former employees and there is no evidence to suggest Downing violated them Birkenfeld said one of the guards nicknamed him "Mister 30 Percent," because of the prospect that the government might pay him an enormous amount of money the IRS calculated Birkenfeld's $104 million payment on the basis of the $780 million that UBS paid the U.S But his lawyers have maintained that he is entitled to more—a percentage of all the money the government has collected from Americans confessing secret offshore accounts the IRS said as much as $7 billion has been collected from Americans with secret offshore accounts It's not clear whether that argument will prevail The IRS declined to comment for this article the IRS explains that whistleblower rewards are based on "additions to tax interest and other amounts collected as a result of any administrative or judicial action resulting from the information provided." The IRS sets a general range of 15 to 30 percent for whistleblower awards The website said: "There is no limit on the dollar amount of the award." "If the law is written that way—if the moneys they've collected—I believe there's other proceeds that I should be allocated you'll have to talk to my lawyers on that," Birkenfeld said He argues that the billions of dollars returned to the U.S Treasury are just the beginning; huge sums were also returned to the American banking system as offshore clients returned cash to disclosed bank accounts in the U.S "You can't possibly calculate the amount of money that's been generated as a result of this historic whistleblowing that I performed," Birkenfeld said Birkenfeld is still hiding something: He will not publicly name his own clients at UBS although he says he provided that information to the government years ago Pressed by CNBC to reveal the names of his clients "I don't want to give the names at this time," he said he suggested that CNBC call the Department of Justice and ask officials there for the names has little to say on the topic of Birkenfeld A spokeswoman declined to answer a series of direct questions from CNBC about his case instead providing a statement from Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D Ciraolo of the Justice Department's Tax Division: "Bradley Birkenfeld was afforded due process of law and sentenced by a federal district court after full consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances including his admission that he advised wealthy UBS clients on how to conceal their assets from the U.S The Justice Department went on to point out that since 2009 the department has charged more than 100 account holders with undeclared offshore accounts "The department's enforcement efforts have reached far beyond Switzerland as evidenced by publicly disclosed actions concerning banking activities in India Israel and the Caribbean," DOJ said in a statement "The department continues to work with the Internal Revenue Service and other domestic and international law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who assist U.S taxpayers in offshore tax evasion and to identify the individuals who have evaded their federal tax obligations." he won't be staying in the United States for long Birkenfeld said that he will leave the U.S He'd like to renew his dream of living in Europe although he knows he may never set foot in Switzerland connects with other whistleblowers around the world and makes charitable contributions He has looked into getting a presidential pardon Birkenfeld is also enjoying the fruits of his whistleblowing The vanity license plate on one of his two new Porsches bears the old marketing slogan for UBS: "You and Us." 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All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal Data also provided by Amarillo released the final crime numbers 2023 which showed a decrease in overall crime in the city especially violent and vehicle theft crimes Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld spoke about the report and his department's efforts to reduce crime in the city Among the crimes with the most significant decline was homicide with 16 committed compared to 23 the previous year with a reduction of 30 rapes reported from 194 to 164 Aggravated assault saw a slight drop of 4.7% The only violent crime to rise was robbery which had five more incidents than the previous year with a drop from 1,534 to 1,460 reported crimes we have focused on many different measures to reduce incidents,” Birkenfeld said and we start working on that case right away and try to figure out who the offender is we seek accountability and to prevent secondary shootings for retaliation we have a detective out as quickly as possible This has made a difference because our overall robbery numbers are not that high so a slight reduction makes a significant difference.”  so some factors cannot be explained just based on local law enforcement Addressing gang violence is a big push in the department “We have assigned an investigator that has sole responsibility to investigate gang crimes which should help us to build better data on who is involved in these gang crimes a gang member can receive additional time in prison if they are identified as a gang member and they commit specific violent crimes.”   Birkenfeld emphasizes that this reduces organized crime “The logic is that it is to try to discourage organized crime which is basically what gangs are,” he said "Even if it is just a small group of young people dealing drugs Everyone thinks that marijuana is a harmless drug but it causes quite a bit of damage out in our community Dealing with this as a separate issue helps cut down and discourages participation in gangs.”  One of the factors Birkenfeld says he believes is reducing homicides in the city is the high clearance rate for the city of Amarillo “We have one of the highest clearance rates for homicides in the nation,” he said “Our force works tirelessly on these cases to solve these cases Our homicide clearance rate has been about 90% consistently over the last few years we put a lot of resources into holding those accountable and getting justice for the families.”  most homicides are a result of gun violence “I think by addressing issues such as gang violence other gun crimes and shooting that potentially could be retaliation that we can help reduce the homicides from occurring,” he said “I am convinced many of the things we are doing is reducing violent crime.”  While he sees the number of rapes in the city as disturbing Birkenfeld stressed a considerable number of rapes are happening from people familiar with the victim many of which happen in the home with those familiar with each other Property crime saw a greater decline overall The most significant reduction in crime was in vehicle theft All property crimes saw a reduction in incidence with arson and burglary having a 20% drop in crimes Larceny theft saw the most negligible impact in its numbers but fell about 6% property crimes were down from 7,050 to 6,283 “Property crime has seen a significant downward trend in the last 25 years,” Birkenfeld said "We have seen fewer thefts and business and home burglaries such as door cameras that identify who is committing crime and serve as a deterrent.”  Birkenfeld sees the drop in vehicle theft showing effects from many of the measures that have been advised such as not leaving the keys in the car or having unlocked cars when parked “A lot of the theft we see on surveillance has thieves looking through a neighborhood for an unlocked car that will be much easier because a broken window makes a lot of noise," he added Speaking on the impact of illegal immigration on crime in the city Birkenfeld said that he has seen no evidence that it has increased crime rates in the city “There is nothing we can tie to illegal immigration rather than the violation of the federal laws themselves,” he said "There is likely some correlation maybe in areas near the border with a higher concentration of illegal immigrants a certain number of people are involved in criminal activity you can expect people to be involved in these activities fentanyl has created a significant increase in deaths from overdoses of the drug we are investigating it like a homicide because somebody provided that drug to that person “If you have dealt or sold drugs to a person and that person dies or is seriously injured you could be held accountable for that person's death or injury.”  He said there must be a combination of prevention and enforcement to reduce fentanyl deaths “This drug is so dangerous because of the unknown factors,” he said “We need to hold people accountable to have effective laws but we have to go back to the prevention part with young kids and build that into their brains you are likely to have long-lasting results of either addiction or death.”  Birkenfeld says that a significant drop in vehicle crime will significantly impact the safety and quality of life of the city’s residents “If we can reduce the number of stolen cars even further that will be good news for the city in general,” Birkenfeld said "This will reduce insurance rates and make the city safer for the public."  SWISHER COUNTY, Texas (KVII) — A man is now behind bars in connection with the murder of 29-year-old Tess Birkenfeld of Happy of March 16. Friday, the Swisher County Sheriff's Office arrested 21-year-old Eduardo Reyna Barrientos of Silverton in connection with the slaying. Barrientos is in the Swisher County Jail on a $250,000 bond. Birkenfeld was found dead in Happy around 9:30 p.m. on March 16 at the Happy RV Park. The Texas Rangers, Tulia police, the Swisher and Briscoe County Sheriff's Offices and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are all assisting with the investigation. Al Drago / Bloomberg / Getty / Paul Spella / The AtlanticFebruary 10 a business colleague of Donald Trump’s close ally Corey Lewandowski offered a whistleblower and convicted ex-banker an expensive deal: In exchange for a $300,000 fee up front—plus another $1 million if successful—the two men would push the then-president for a pardon according to the ex-banker and an associate who heard the pitch Brad Birkenfeld, whose exposure of tax-evasion schemes yielded billions of dollars for U.S told me he received this offer in person from Lewandowski’s colleague Jason Osborne In a later phone call with a second Birkenfeld associate upped the initial fee to $500,000 and boasted that he was meeting with Trump the next day to discuss pardons who said he rejected both offers as “shakedowns,” tried other avenues to obtain a pardon but a handful of associates working pro bono on his behalf were unsuccessful in securing him one Osborne and Lewandowski both denied Birkenfeld’s claims but a January email from Osborne to Birkenfeld suggests that two pitches were made offering “our assistance” in obtaining a pardon Birkenfeld told me how Osborne made the first pitch during a chance encounter they had not long after the presidential election in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel in Washington where Birkenfeld was giving away copies of his book about his career and whistleblowing history accompanied by an evangelical pastor who was trying to help him obtain a pardon During a brief chat about what Birkenfeld was working on he told Osborne about his interest in securing a pardon and we’re doing it for other clients,” Osborne replied Birkenfeld told me he was taken aback by Osborne’s proposed fee “When anybody offers something for six figures without a guarantee there is something rotten in Denmark,” Birkenfeld said whom I agreed not to name because of privacy and professional concerns likened Osborne’s pitch to “speed dating.” It was “very off-putting and very crass,” he told me “We recommended we could connect him with someone” who could help with Birkenfeld’s desire for a pardon saying he never took any money from Birkenfeld Asked twice whom he planned to “connect” Birkenfeld with for pardon help Read: What Rudy Giuliani is really up to But Birkenfeld said that after another associate told him the former Trump campaign aide might be of assistance Birkenfeld spoke with Lewandowski on the phone for 18 minutes on January 4 but Lewandowski wasn’t shy in suggesting that he could be helpful “I’m going to see Trump at 11:30 tomorrow regarding pardons,” Birkenfeld recalled Lewandowski saying Birkenfeld said he made clear to Lewandowski that he had a team helping him pro bono with a pardon: “I told him I wasn’t paying anybody.” At that point Birkenfeld asked Lewandowski to speak with a key ally in Washington who was coordinating Birkenfeld’s pardon drive the ally told Birkenfeld that Lewandowski had hiked the fee to $500,000 up front with the same $1 million payout if the pardon came through Lewandowski informed the ally that he wanted the funds wired to him on January 5 by 11 a.m.—30 minutes before he was slated to speak with Trump (The ally spoke with me on the condition of anonymity because of privacy and professional concerns.) Osborne sent Birkenfeld an email suggesting that he and Lewandowski were still eager to help him “I understand you just talked to my Partner Corey Lewandowski,” read the email “Im not sure what happened two months ago when I offered our assistance Birkenfeld said he was mystified that Lewandowski would propose an up-front fee that was $200,000 higher than the one Osborne had suggested noting that he did not respond to the pitches and had no further contact with either of the men “Why would anybody ask for a six-digit wire in 24 hours with no guarantees?” Lewandowski told me that the January 4 calls were initiated by Birkenfeld and his ally He said he told them to talk to Osborne about pardon-lobbying assistance and that he wasn’t doing that kind of work “I never engaged with them,” Lewandowski said I never asked for money.” (Birkenfeld’s ally told me that they did discuss a fee during their January 4 call.) Asked whether he had spoken to Trump at 11:30 a.m “I can’t talk about that,” and suggested I request White House visiting records (Trump White House visitor logs are not publicly available.) Birkenfeld contradicted Lewandowski’s account: He “never mentioned Osborne’s name and he told my associate he needed $500,000 sent to his bank before he met the president There is no doubt in my mind that what Corey was doing was attempting to sell expensive access to the president of the United States.” Although Birkenfeld rejected the pair’s offers, he tried other ways to secure a pardon. Several people working pro bono on his behalf made contacts with top Trump aides, such as Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, Birkenfeld and his key ally told me. He also took out a full-page ad in The Washington Times in mid-December featuring strong comments in his favor from Bo Dietl a former New York Police Department detective including the author Peter Schweizer (who wrote a foreword to Lucifer’s Banker Uncensored) and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell wrote roughly half a dozen letters arguing that Birkenfeld deserved a pardon in part for the key role he played in exposing offshore tax-evasion schemes involving Swiss banks David Frum: Stand against the coming tidal wave of deceit the largest ever awarded to a tax whistleblower for helping the government Birkenfeld’s whistleblowing was lucrative for the government—not to mention his own bank account But as Birkenfeld’s hunt for a pardon heated up last year the very expensive offers he says he received from Lewandowski and Osborne could potentially raise legal questions former Justice Department officials told me “While a demand by an attorney or lobbyist for a ‘success fee’ for a presidential pardon may not in and of itself be a crime it certainly reeks of corruption and could attract law-enforcement scrutiny,” Paul Pelletier a former acting chief of DOJ’s fraud section a former prosecutor in California who retired last fall after 36 years of handling major corruption cases framed the alleged offers in harsher terms: “If Lewandowski was simply trying to shake down potential clients seeking pardons such sordid moves would be typical of the inhabitants who have crawled out of Trump’s cesspool of corruption,” he told me (One ex-member pled guilty to campaign-finance violations and the other to securities-fraud charges.) were among those who got paid thousands by individuals Trump pardoned the research director for the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington he pardoned a slew of corrupt cronies and wealthy had the help of the kinds of high-powered lobbyists Asked how he feels about not getting a pardon when so many well-connected Trump allies did Birkenfeld told me he’s not angry or bitter But he still feels slighted: “I think my case was the quintessential one that had the merits deserving a presidential pardon.” * This article previously mischaracterized why Brad Birkenfeld was charged with conspiracy. VEGA — It's hard to imagine what was going through Tanner Birkenfeld's mind when he stepped to the free throw line with 14.8 seconds remaining Monday night in a Class 1A quarterfinal playoff game. Nazareth looked destined for a runaway victory early, struggled at a near unbelievable level in the second quarter and found itself clinging to a one-possession lead against Texline as Birkenfeld approached the charity stripe. With two makes, Birkenfeld finished with 12 total — while Carson Heiman added 13 points — to help the Swifts claim a 42-37 victory and fend off the Tornados for good. With the victory, Nazareth (24-8) advanced to the regional tournament slated to face off against the Grady-Lorenzo winner this weekend at the Texan Dome in Levelland. A time and date for the contest were not available by the Globe-News’ local print time. Before that, the Swifts can recall a wild four-quarter ride against Texline (30-5). It came to a head after Hayden Alston drained a 3-pointer to cut a two-possession lead down to three points (40-37) with 20.6 seconds. Alston, who finished with a team-best 12 points, did his best to return Texline to the regional tournament for the third straight year — a year after being the state runner-up. Birkenfeld ensured it would be Nazareth by made a pair of free throws to cement the victory and allow the Swifts to continue their banner season — marking the first time the program has reached the regional tournament since advancing to the state semifinals back in 2020. The start foreshadowed what would be a close contest. Nazareth started the game off about as hot as they could have hoped. The Tornados scored the first basket of the game, but the Swifts responded with a 7-0 run. A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Carson Heiman to end the quarter gave Nazareth a 16-7 edge. The second quarter was more of a hockey competition than a basketball game, though. Nazareth failed to record a single point, while Texline managed an early layup by Joe Clay and another layup by Clay with 12.4 seconds left. That was it as the four points by the Tornados made it 16-11 at the midway point. "If you told me before the game that we'd go a quarter scoreless, I'd figure we may have been in trouble," Nazareth coach Taylor Schulte said. "Our defense showed up and came to play. I'm so proud of them down there. Texline's a great team and what they do is hard to guard. They go so fast and we were really good on that end." It took less than 30 seconds for the Swifts to snap the scoring skid with a three-pointer by Kayle Rogers in the third quarter. Texline continued to chip away as Alston made a layup to pull the Tornados within two with 5:09 left in the period. Clay tied it up less than a minute later and Nazareth refused to surrender the lead on the way to a 30-27 advantage entering the fourth. The Swifts held steady for much of the final period, going up by as many as six. Alston sliced the deficit in half with a three-pointer with 20.6 seconds left, but Birkenfeld sunk the foul shots to return the lead to five and give Nazareth the win. Nazareth (24-8): Creed Hochstein 3, Carson Heiman 13, Tanner Birkenfeld 12, Brett Heitschmidt 7, Kayle Rogers 7 Texline (30-5): Haden Drumm 10, Hayden Alston 12, Joe Clay 10, Stratton Potter 2, Will Clay 3 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page three years after blowing the whistle on widespread tax evasion facilitated by Switzerland’s largest bank Bradley Birkenfeld started sending faxes to Canada Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience a former UBS AG private banker who resigned in 2005 after approaching management with concerns that it was breaking U.S providing information about how UBS helped American clients evade taxes by secretly holding their undeclared assets overseas Other countries have used his information to recover billions of dollars in unpaid taxes from UBS clients slap the bank with hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and conduct dramatic raids on the homes of key employees But even with information from the famous whistleblower on their desks Canadian authorities didn’t take any legal action against the bank or its employees By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Posthaste will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It’s the same thing that’s going down in America,'” Birkenfeld said “The information that was provided to them should have made them jump at it.” In addition to contacting the Canadian Department of Justice Birkenfeld said he sent anonymous faxes to two offices of the Canada Revenue Agency with the names and contact information of UBS Canada bankers the amount of Canadian assets under management by the bank and $1 billion in taxes clients should have paid things haven’t worked out the way he hoped the CRA said 3,000 UBS clients have made voluntary disclosures to the tax agency since 2009 with disclosures and audits resulting in the collection of more than $270 million in unreported income But that’s only a quarter of the amount Birkenfeld said Canada could have recovered with the help of his information Neither UBS nor its employees have faced any Canadian penalties to date Most of the $270 million the CRA managed to get came years after receiving the information and only after stepping up measures to combat offshore tax evasion in 2013 “The signal Canada gives to individuals who bypass the fiscal and legal systems is Canada will treat you easily,” said Alain Deneault a professor at the University of Montreal and author of Canada: A New Tax Haven He said Canada is becoming known as a country that’s friendly to tax havens citing the CRA’s no-penalties amnesty deal offered to wealthy clients of firm KPMG who had taken advantage of an Isle of Man tax scheme KPMG helped wealthy Canadians create shell companies on the island as a way to avoid paying tax on investment income Having a bank account in another country isn’t illegal but it is against the law to fail to declare the interest and capital gains it earns who once admitted in court to smuggling diamonds for a client in a tube of toothpaste said UBS would send bankers such as him to art shows and yacht clubs to network with wealthy North Americans advising its employees on how to disguise the true purpose of their trips when questioned at customs fined UBS US$780 million in exchange for avoiding criminal prosecution France summoned Birkenfeld to testify in 2015 as part of an ongoing investigation into whether UBS laundered the proceeds of tax fraud Greek investigators raided the home of UBS’s former head of investment banking UBS spokesman Peter Stack declined to comment on Birkenfeld’s assertion that he has information showing UBS had $5.6 billion in Canadian assets under management in 2005 “We’re not particularly anxious to have a comment for you,” he said the whistleblower on the federal Liberal sponsorship scandal he’s still trying to drum up political interest in his cause Senator Larry Campbell has invited Birkenfeld to write a letter requesting that he make a presentation to the senate’s Banking Birkenfeld’s entry to Canada may be complicated by his U.S which requires him to apply for special permission to cross the border After earning a US$104-million whistleblower award for tipping off American authorities Birkenfeld spent two-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of fraud for withholding information about a client Not everyone is impressed by Birkenfeld’s persistence a tax lawyer and a founding partner of Spiegel Sohmer Inc. said the majority of the UBS clients Birkenfeld knew about have likely already come forward to the CRA Sohmer suggested the whistleblower is chiefly interested in publicity for his recently published book “There’s nothing he’s going to teach by way of a PowerPoint He’s going to give a Grade 1 talk to the politicians?” Sohmer said “Birkenfeld has no information today that is of any material value to Canada.” saying he has many documents that have not been made public and knows former colleagues at UBS who would be willing to come forward as witnesses if Canada decided to open a criminal investigation He said his refusal to let the issue go has nothing to do with self-publicity or the pursuit of additional whistleblower awards — which he isn’t eligible for in Canada anyway Sohmer disagrees that the penalties Birkenfeld is pushing for are the right thing to do He said the Canadian method of coaxing tax evaders into voluntary disclosures by promising to waive harsh penalties is much more effective at recovering taxes than dramatic raids and threats of incarceration “If what you’re looking for is revenge — ‘You son of a bitch why did you get away with it?’ — the fact of the matter is that there’s a massive amount coming in,” Sohmer said “The average Canadian is going to have far more benefit with a sacrifice on fairness.” Even if the Canadian government decided to retroactively throw the book at UBS and its clients those cases would be more difficult to prosecute than in the U.S a law professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax and an expert in tax law noted many things that are illegal today — such as flying to Montreal to deliver a suitcase full of a client’s cash from an account in Zurich without declaring it — were within the bounds of Canadian law when Birkenfeld worked for the bank The Canadian government also entered into an information sharing agreement with Switzerland last year in an attempt to combat offshore tax evasion Canadian UBS clients are now required to fill out a form verifying they have declared their assets to the CRA “What’s the use of getting more information to expose these offshore accounts where no one has done anything illegal and there’s nothing you can do about it?” Loomer said said Canada’s soft treatment of wealthy tax evaders effectively creates two sets of rules for taxpayers they’ll throw the book at you,” Deneault said you’ll be able to pay only the tax you didn’t pay before you were caught and maybe a bit of interest.” That is precisely what happens to the tens of thousands of Canadians who have participated in the CRA’s voluntary disclosure program The CRA typically requires offshore tax evaders who come clean to pay back the tax they should have paid in the first place at a reduced interest rate and with no additional penalties The lenient treatment encourages participation The CRA said it has identified more than $1 billion in domestic and offshore income through the program in the past 12 months with the amount of identified income quadrupling over the past six years a tax lawyer who has represented both the prosecution and defence in white-collar crime cases said there are advantages to having an appealing voluntary disclosure program But the ideal system should also have harsh penalties for tax evaders who decide to pass it up “You have to have a carrot and a stick,” Eljarrat said the consequences should be extremely serious.” Other countries have spent hours grilling him under oath In addition to the faxes he sent the CRA in 2008 Birkenfeld said he had a lengthy correspondence with a Department of Justice official Canadians for Accountability filed an access to information request for records related to that correspondence and was told no such records exist a response that is currently under review by the Office of the Information Commissioner said he has contacted the leaders of every political party to see if anyone would be interested in sponsoring Birkenfeld to come to Canada and present what he knows UBS bankers in other countries have been subpoenaed or subjected to raids on their residences as a result of Birkenfeld’s disclosures but the careers of high-level Canadian staff carried on undisturbed thanks to the largest whistleblower award in U.S In addition to advising foreign governments about offshore tax evasion — or attempting to in Canada’s case — he spends his time travelling lecturing and collecting memorabilia related to the original six National Hockey League teams Birkenfeld has the means to let go of the past and retreat into a life of leisure “If you ask your mother for the keys to drive the car and she never gives them to you transmission or republication strictly 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Leaders in the Law ‘Interested person’ status under MUPC doesn’t confer standing Disinherited son can’t challenge appointment of personal rep The Appeals Court has ruled in a case of first impression that a disinherited son’s status as an “interested person” under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code did not give him standing to challenge his stepmother’s appointment as personal representative of his father’s estate Testator Ronald Birkenfeld’s will left all his tangible property to his wife with the residue of his estate pouring over into a revocable trust The will explicitly excluded Birkenfeld’s three adult sons from a prior marriage because they had been provided for under the trust which called for them to receive income and principal upon Pamela’s death in amounts and proportions as directed in her will Bradley sought formal proceedings in Probate & Family Court to have his brother appointed as personal representative of his father’s estate instead of Pamela he fell within the definition of an “interested person” under §3-401 which authorizes an interested person to bring a formal testacy proceeding challenging the will Though he was not challenging the will itself Bradley argued that §3-401 conferred standing to challenge his stepmother’s appointment which addresses the appointment of personal representatives is silent as to who can bring such a challenge “In the absence of statutory language on the issue our pre-MUPC case law imposed a common-law requirement that a person have ‘a legal interest in the decedent’s estate such as [that of] legatees and creditors,’ in order to have standing to petition to remove a personal representative,” Justice Gabrielle R “Here … the MUPC does not identify the class of persons entitled to challenge the appointment of a personal representative it did not displace the common-law requirement of standing.” The Appeals Court panel also rejected Bradley’s argument that his contingent remainder beneficiary interest in the pour-over trust gave him sufficient legal interest in the estate to confer standing The 11-page decision is In the Matter of the Estate of Birkenfeld, Ronald, Lawyers Weekly No. 11-127-23 said the decision confirmed a simple but fundamental point: An actual interest in an estate is needed to challenge the appointment of a personal representative “Both common law and the MUPC recognize that the circumstances of each case must be considered in the determination of a petitioner’s claim of interest,” Ford said given that [Bradley] has waged an unsuccessful three-year three-court litigation campaign against [Pamela] in an effort to harass her and cause her to spend legal fees unnecessarily.” expressed disappointment with the Appeals Court’s finding that despite falling squarely within the MUPC’s definition of an “interested person” as his father’s child Bradley still lacked standing to protect his interest in his father’s estate from the appointment of an “unsuitable” personal representative “We’re surprised by the decision,” he said Bell called the decision “welcome” in that it would be helpful in fleshing out the provisions of the MUPC for practitioners and trial judges He also said the facts of the case were unique which might narrow the range of cases that it will impact children receive at least a portion of a parent’s property in a will even if the residue pours over into a trust the entity is something other than an individual the court needs to ensure that the individual representing an entity is pursuing the entity’s interest and not some other agenda.” children are usually either direct beneficiaries of a trust or they are contingent beneficiaries of the remainder after the spouse’s death instead of requiring the spouse to direct the remainder via her own will While it was unclear whether either of those situations would provide standing for a petitioner seeking to appoint or remove a personal representative Bell emphasized that the ruling implied in dicta that had Bradley challenged the validity of the will itself become much more meaningful if the will contains a no-contest clause and the objecting party is at risk of losing their entire inheritance for challenging the validity of the will especially if their primary or sole issue is an objection to the personal representative,” he said of Waltham said he thought the panel reached the correct result the court needs to ensure that the individual representing an entity is pursuing the entity’s interest and not some other agenda,” he said “So the analysis wasn’t really that difficult in an equitable context Testamentary intent is the driving factor for the Probate Court and Pamela was clearly the appropriate person in Ronald’s mind to pursue his objectives.” Correira said the case serves as a reminder that while many clients think they should leave $1 to any family member they wish to disinherit in order to make it harder for that person to argue they were excluded by mistake “Even a small bequest gives a person standing to challenge the appointment and actions of the personal representative,” he said pointing out that in addition to distributing assets a personal representative holds the decedent’s attorney-client privilege and right to medical and tax records and decides whether to pursue a claim or prosecute a lawsuit is to include wording in the will that clearly and unequivocally disinherits the person.” the testator executed a will giving his tangible personal property to Pamela with the residue pouring over into a revocable trust Birkenfeld’s three sons from his prior marriage were explicitly excluded with the will stating they were provided for under the trust In the Matter of the Estate of Birkenfeld, Ronald THE ISSUE: Did a disinherited son’s status as an “interested person” under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code confer standing to challenge his stepmother’s appointment as personal representative of his father’s estate The trust property was divided into two subtrusts for estate tax purposes with Pamela receiving all income of “subtrust A” during her lifetime plus distributions from the principal as determined by the trustees accumulated and undistributed income from subtrust A would go to her estate with the remaining principal distributed to Birkenfeld’s sons as Pamela might direct in her will As for “subtrust B,” Pamela would receive as much income and principal as the trustees determined in her lifetime with the remaining income and principal distributed upon her death to the three sons in amounts and proportions she directed in her will Bradley immediately sued Pamela in Superior Court unjust enrichment and tortious interference he filed suit in Probate & Family Court seeking to have his brother appointed as personal representative of Birkenfeld’s estate instead of Pamela He did not challenge the will’s validity or claim it was the product of undue influence Moriarty dismissed Bradley’s petition for lack of standing The Appeals Court rejected Bradley’s assertion that as an “interested person” under the MUPC for purposes of challenging the validity of a will he also had standing to challenge appointment of a personal representative courts imposed a common-law requirement that a person have a legal interest in the estate for standing to challenge a personal representative “A cognizable legal interest in the estate is required because ‘[c]ourts are not established to enable parties to litigate matters in which they have no interest affecting their liberty, rights or property,’” Wolohojian said, quoting the Supreme Judicial Court’s 1985 Clymer v. Mayo decision Without the MUPC specifically identifying a class of persons empowered to challenge a personal representative the panel found that the common-law requirement of standing still held force The panel also rejected Bradley’s claim that his interest in the trust conferred such standing “Bradley’s contingent remainder interest in the trust [was insufficient],” Wolohojian wrote “As was held in the appeal from [his] Superior Court action ‘Bradley can only receive income and principal from the trust (if any remains) upon Pamela’s death and at her discretion’ and thus has no expectancy in Birkenfeld’s estate sufficient to confer standing.” A judge rules that an ex-CFO is entitled to indemnification A judge cannot use his equitable powers to disturb a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity once the deadlines[...] but a preposterous legal argument is not funny The Superior Court's Business Litigation Session is adding new technology to streamline evidence presentation [...] Did defense counsel stumble out of the gate in Karen Read’s second murder trial by once again engaging in an[...] The hearing on the formal disciplinary charges filed against Judge Shelley M Sign up for your daily digest of Massachusetts News Supreme Court recently heard oral argument on whether the Catholic Church should be permitted to launch the country’s first publicly funded religious charter school Would allowing such a school violate the Constitution’s ban on government-established religion View Results A judge rules that an ex-CFO is entitled to indemnification A judge cannot use his equitable powers to disturb a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity once the[...] The Superior Court's Business Litigation Session is adding new technology to streamline evidence pre[...] Did defense counsel stumble out of the gate in Karen Read’s second murder trial by once again enga[...] The hearing on the formal disciplinary charges filed against Judge Shelley M The 1st Circuit ruled that marijuana odor gave police reasonable suspicion to extend a traffic stop,[...] In the nearly seven years it has been in effect Massachusetts’ updated equal pay law has gotten l[...] Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly provides 24/7 legal news coverage and events honoring top legal professionals Get our free MLW e-alerts & breaking news notifications Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions (AP) WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service has awarded an ex-banker $104 million for providing information about overseas tax cheats - the largest amount ever awarded by the agency lawyers for the whistleblower announced Tuesday Former Swiss banker Bradley Birkenfeld is credited with exposing widespread tax evasion at Swiss bank UBS AG Birkenfeld himself served roughly two and-a-half years in prison for a fraud conspiracy conviction related to the case which resulted in a $780 million fine against the bank and an unprecedented agreement requiring UBS to turn over thousands of names of suspected American tax dodgers to the IRS "The IRS today sent 104 million messages to whistleblowers around the world - that there is now a safe and secure way to report tax fraud and that the IRS is now paying awards," Birkenfeld's lawyers "The IRS also sent 104 million messages to banks around the world - stop enabling tax cheats or you will get caught." which doesn't usually confirm individual award payments said Birkenfeld signed a disclosure waiver "The IRS believes that the whistleblower statute provides a valuable tool to combat tax non-compliance and this award reflects our commitment to the law," IRS spokeswoman Michele Eldridge said in an email Birkenfeld has become something of a cause celebre among whistleblowers because of the magnitude of his case and the fact that he was jailed after cooperating with authorities In a summary of the award provided by Birkenfeld's lawyers "The comprehensive information provided by the whistleblower was exceptional in both its breadth and depth." "While the IRS was aware of tax compliance issues related to secret bank accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere the information provided by the whistleblower formed the basis for unprecedented actions against UBS AG with collateral impact on other enforcement activities and a continuing impact on future compliance by UBS AG," the IRS said in the summary had said Birkenfeld withheld information about his own dealings with a former UBS client who pleaded guilty in 2007 to tax charges Congress strengthened whistleblower rewards The 2006 law targets high-income tax dodgers guaranteeing rewards for qualified whistleblowers if the company in question owes a least $2 million in unpaid taxes have complained that the IRS has been slow to pay out awards "The potential for this program is tremendous and it's up to the IRS to continue paying rewards and demonstrating to whistleblowers that the process will work and that they will be heard and protected," said Sen "An award of $104 million is obviously a great deal of money but billions of dollars in taxes owed will be collected that otherwise would not have been paid as a result of the whistleblower information." Watch an excerpt of Birkenfeld's 2010 interview with "60 Minutes": Interim City Manager Andrew Freeman recently made some major changes to the leadership of the city’s public safety departments Freeman announced the changes in an email to city staff which was obtained by The Amarillo Pioneer notes that APD Chief Martin Birkenfeld is being moved to a newly created role titled “Managing Director of Public Safety.” In this new role he will oversee the Amarillo Police Department and the Amarillo Emergency Communications Center the city “will benefit from this organizational change through a more cohesive work team in public safety.” Freeman also noted in the email that this position meaning that Birkenfeld will be stepping down from his role as Chief of Police Though some have reported that the city is now looking for a new Chief of Police the email notes that the search will not begin until “May or June,” when the ongoing search for a new City Manager is completed Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson is being promoted to Interim Chief of Police We will provide updates about these changes as they become available Powered by Squarespace Today, the IRS awarded whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld $104 million to reward him for having exposed UBS’ methods of helping US tax cheats hide their loot Birkenfeld was imprisoned by the Obama Administration for fraud in spite of what now is clear confirmation he acted as a whistleblower; he got out early on August 1 from his 40 month sentence The IRS reward will help undo the tremendous damage caused by the ill-conceived decision of the U.S Department of Justice to ignore the whistleblower laws and prosecute Mr Birkenfeld was the only UBS banker to blow the whistle and the only UBS banker to be prosecuted By doing so the DOJ sent the wrong message to international bankers They caused a chilling effect on the willingness of employees in the international banking industry with direct knowledge of illegal offshore banking practices to step forward to report these crimes The National Whistleblower Center carefully investigated the basis upon which the DOJ justified its prosecution the DOJ justified its decision to indict Mr Birkenfeld had failed to inform the government about the illegal activities of his largest client The NWC carefully reviewed court records concerning the Olenicoff case and a confidential transcript of sworn testimony Mr Senate in 2007 about the illegal activities of Mr Birkenfeld did in fact blow the whistle on Mr and that the charges made by the DOJ were false The NWC finds it very troubling that the prosecutor who leveled these charges in court against Mr Birkenfeld has left his government job and taken a position with a major law firm that defends tax cheats The DOJ also granted immunity to the top-ranking official at UBS who was responsible for the UBS tax frauds and permitted this official to leave the United States and obtain safe-haven in Switzerland where Liechti invoked the 5th amendment in testimony before the U.S There’s even a WikiLeaks cable suggesting we prosecuted Birkenfeld as a favor to the Swiss And it’s not just Birkenfeld who has gotten limited justice out of this–though obviously he is by far the worst off While the IRS got over $5 billion in owed taxes as a result of his whistleblowing not even the several individuals about whom specifically Birkenfeld blew the whistle And a bunch of rich people–potentially including a Presidential candidate–enjoyed an amnesty that didn’t even require them to admit they had been cheating their country like so much else with the Obama Administration it’s an example where the real criminals go free while the whistleblowers get prosecuted Shorter US government: “If you blow the whistle on us we’ll blow the whistle on you!” “… a confidential transcript of sworn testimony Mr @allan: Senators That they would admit to knowing anything ever seems unlikely Unless it helps them rake in the corporate campaign cash to get re-elected I used to think Alberto Gonzales was the weakest But Eric Holder is giving him a heck of a run for his money @MadDog: Birkenfeld’s lawyers went out of their way to commend Chuck Grassley for his help on this So don’t knock it–Grassley is usually quite good on whistleblower issues @emptywheel: The exception that proves the rule from what I can see (paging Senator Diane Feinstein to the white courtesy phone) the most recent stuff coming out of places like SSCI seems to place whistleblowers in more legally vulnerable positions than less but it sure doesn’t seem that way with the long list of folks like former NSA employee Thomas Drake who get steamrolled by vengeful US government bureaucrats with turf to protect You are endangering lives and careers and Swiss Bank Accounts There are two Bradley’s who have been victimized by Holder and the secret government Birkenfeld was not “forthcoming” and Holder is a liar about everything But the other Bradley has been imprisoned fpr years without the rule of law Birkenfeld had pleaded guilty to a single fraud conspiracy count in June 2008 when he acknowledged helping his largest U.S client hide assets from the Internal Revenue Service In court documents that lawyers for Bain Capital sought to keep secret the company and other leading private equity firms are depicted as unofficial partners in a bid-rigging conspiracy aimed at holding down the prices of businesses they were seeking to buy The documents have become part of a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Boston brought against Bain and other firms by shareholders who say the firms’ bid-rigging artificially deflated the sales price of more than two dozen companies and cost them billions of dollars founded by the Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney which also names Goldman Sachs’s private equity arm and the Blackstone Group http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/business/documents-depict-equity-firms-like-bain-as-colluding.html?pagewanted=all I work at the IRS and my folks are retired from DOJ and this is the kind of stuff I have suspected goes on at the higher levels of DOJ and Treasury But EW really knows how to distill it all down to it’s most demoralizing essence And the weird thing is that my folks and most of my colleagues can see the instances of injustice but seem incapable of comprehending how pervasive it is Everyone still thinks we basically still live in the same country they grew up in (before Reagan and his minions sacked the place) Congress both reduced the budget of the IRS and ordered the IRS to put most of its investigative attention toward poor people who claim the EITC thus effectively preventing adequate investigation of the wealthy corporate and individual (not that the IRS could ever adequately audit the overseas financial activities of the super-rich Birkenfeld and forces them to do what they did not want to do–trouble the wealthy in any way whatsoever Of course they were going to make life miserable for him in “The Wizard of Oz,” the Wizard had pulled out a pistol and shot Toto for pulling the curtain back I suppose there has always been some politicization of the DOJ and the IRS (when Hoover was running the FBI but it’s really gone into overdrive in the last two or three decades it’s not nice to destroy the fable of the self-made John Galts working hard for their fortunes by showing them to be tax-evading criminals @guest: It’s that old “boiling frog syndrome” @guest: Had a conversation about a year and a half ago w/an acquaintance who works at DOJ in intl rule of law issues (she actually figures in some wikileaks cables and rightly had concerns about her contacts in other countries but in the first go around all her contacts’ names were redacted) She was completely unaware of the rule of law problems we have in our own country–even in our hypocrisy in Afghanistan That’s particularly troubling for me since she’s going to other countries without an awareness of how bad we look To have a good look at how bad the system is for federal whistleblowers take a look at the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) and read the names on the Open Letter to Members of Congress Many of us had our careers destroyed when we blew the whistle on corruption within the federal government http://whistlewatch.org/2012/09/petition-to-members-of-congress-strengthen-whistleblower-and-taxpayer-protections/ @montag: in “The Wizard of Oz,” the Wizard had pulled out a pistol and shot Toto for pulling the curtain back This site's work is possible through readers' support Choose a support option at the link below.