Hawkeye Reporter

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has called for an investigation into Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials accused of retaliating against agency whistleblowers. Grassley is urging CBP to hold accountable those responsible for actions taken against Fred Wynn, Mike Taylor, and Mark Jones, three whistleblowers who reported the agency’s noncompliance with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.

According to a 2021 report by the Office of Special Counsel, management within the CBP Office of Intelligence—including then-Executive Director of Intelligence Operations Ronald Ocker and then-Acting Deputy Executive Director Juan Fernandez—engaged in retaliation against these whistleblowers. In May 2024, Grassley sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General outlining evidence that multiple CBP officials participated in retaliatory actions.

“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,” Grassley wrote.

“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.

In May, Grassley helped secure promotions and full compensation for Wynn, Taylor, and Jones after more than seven years of retaliation. The agency also restored law enforcement credentials for Jones and Taylor that had been revoked following their disclosures about CBP’s practices regarding DNA sample collection.

Grassley has advocated since 2018 for an end to retaliation against these individuals. He brought attention to their case during a congressional roundtable last year where they discussed potential national security risks related to CBP’s refusal to collect DNA samples.

During an April 2025 hearing on President Trump’s nominee for CBP Commissioner, Grassley repeated his request that Wynn, Taylor, and Jones be “100% redirected from the punishment they had by the previous administration.” Shortly afterward, CBP agreed to promote them.

This year marks several successes for Grassley in supporting federal whistleblowers. In March, he was instrumental in securing promotions at the Internal Revenue Service for Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. On National Whistleblower Day, he announced reinstatement of a Federal Bureau of Investigation whistleblower’s clearance and employment.

Grassley has also introduced legislation aimed at strengthening protections for FBI employees and federal contractors who report wrongdoing. He has called on President Trump to ensure efforts to reduce federal staff are not used as a means to retaliate against whistleblowers reporting waste or abuse.