Grassley Exposes CBP Bureaucrats for Whistleblower Retaliation, Calls for Immediate Investigation and Accountability

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA– Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is calling on Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to investigate CBP bureaucrats for their retaliation against agency whistleblowers, and to hold all retaliators accountable for their actions.
In May, Grassley helpedrestore the careers of three CBP whistleblowers– Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor and Mark Jones – who faced nearly a decade of retaliation afterexposing CBP’s noncompliancewith theDNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.
This retaliation is documented in a2021 reportby the Office of Special Counsel, which confirmed CBP Office of Intelligence (OI) management – including then-Executive Director of Intelligence OperationsRonald Ockerand then-Acting Deputy Executive Director of Intelligence OperationsJuan Fernandez– engaged in whistleblower retaliation. Additionally, in May 2024, Grassleysent a letterto the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) detailing evidence of retaliation against the three whistleblowers by multiple CBP officials, including Ocker and Fernandez.
“I am grateful to DHS leadership and the Trump administration for bringing these whistleblowers back to their rightful roles when the Biden administration failed to do so. To ensure that retaliation does not happen again at DHS, CBP or any of the Department’s other component agencies, the bureaucrats who retaliated against Mr. Wynn, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Jones must be held accountable,”Grassleywrote.
“I am requesting that CBP investigate these reported instances of whistleblower retaliation and hold accountable, as appropriate, all individuals responsible for the seven-year nightmare these brave whistleblowers endured,”Grassley concluded.
Read Grassley’s full letter to CBP Commissioner Rodney ScottHERE, which includes copies of the Special Counsel report and Grassley’s 2024 letter to DHS OIG.
Background:In May, Grassleysuccessfully secured promotionsfor CBP whistleblowers Wynn, Taylor and Jones, along with full compensation for the more than seven years of retaliation they suffered. The agency also reauthorized Jones and Taylors’ law enforcement credentials, badges and firearms, which had been revoked by the Biden administration for blowing the whistle on CBP’s noncompliance with theDNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.
Since 2018, Grassley urged CBP to end its retaliation against these whistleblowers and follow the law. He highlighted their case at acongressional roundtablelast year, where Wynn, Taylor and Jones discussed the national security implications of CBP’s refusal to collect DNA samples.
During the April 2025hearingto consider President Trump’s nominee to be CBP Commissioner, Grassley again voiced his request for these whistleblowers to be “100% redirected from the punishment they had by the previous administration.” Days later, CBP agreed to promote Wynn, Taylor and Jones.
Grassley’s successful track record for whistleblowers:The promotion of the CBP whistleblowers is the third major victory Grassley hassecured for whistleblowersthis year. In March, the Internal Revenue Servicepromotedwhistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, at Grassley’s urging. OnNational Whistleblower Day, Grassley announced he had succeeded inreinstatinga Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whistleblower’s clearance and employment with the agency.
This Congress, Grassley also introduced legislation to strengthen whistleblower protections forFBI employeesandfederal contractors, whilecalling onPresident Trump to ensure federal downsizing initiatives aren’t used to retaliate against those who blow the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse.
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