Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, left, talks with Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Chairman: ICE witch hunt for tipster of San Bernardino
terror screw up

By Paul Bedard(@SecretsBedard) • 3/16/16 5:37 PM

A Senate chairman who Tuesday revealed inside information on how a Homeland Security turf war delayed the probe into the San Bernardino terror attacks
in December on Wednesday said the department has launched a witch hunt for the tipster with plans to retaliate.

"I'm very concerned that ICE is seeking out those individuals in order to retaliate or otherwise punish them for providing information to Congress," said
Sen. Ron Johnson, the Wisconsin Republican who heads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

"I want to make it very clear today," he said, "that our committee will be monitoring this situation very carefully."

Johnson said that he has written a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and others involved
stand down and he also announced plans to order a department inspector general audit of the alleged attack on the whistleblowers.

At a Tuesday hearing, Johnson revealed a bureaucratic turf war between two federal immigration agencies delayed the investigation into the attacks
the day after 14 were killed by two ISIS disciples.

Quoting a federal insider, Johnson said that armed police from one agency were blocked by another in their effort to seize a friend of killers Syed Farook
and Tashfeen Malik who allegedly supplied them guns and helped in the plot.

On Wednesday he warned the administration to keep its hands off his tipster. "The federal government has a very poor record or retaliation," said Johnson.

"It is really quite shocking how often the federal government retaliates and I certainly won't stand for it and this committee won't stand for any retribution
for those who had the courage to come forward."

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ch...rticle/2586029