By
Cat Viglienzoni - July 29, 2010
The FBI is facing investigations after reports that large
numbers of agents may have cheated on one of its tests. The Justice Department's
inspector general is looking into the incidents.
The test was an open-book one on surveillance rules and
news rules for opening cases, but it has now opened a case of its own. It was
supposed to be taken alone, but many agents were either confused about the
procedures or willfully ignored them and took it together.
FBI director Robert Mueller said there could be more
cases then they'd originally thought.
"The inspector general has taken over that investigation
and has indicated that there are additional personnel that did not abide by
those procedures," he said, adding, "We do not have all the specifics."
There are reports that hundreds of agents may have
improperly taken the test, but no one has put forth an exact number yet.
"I do not know how many, and I'm not sure the IG
[inspector general] knows how many either," Mueller said.
According to Mueller, the agents had received about 16
hours of training on the guidelines and were then instructed to take the test
on them. The test-taking rules had specified that the tester "should not get
help from another person."
Reports of test-taking problems included instances where
agents finished the test much quicker than expected and instances where agents
may have taken the test together.
Mueller said he will await the inspector general's letter
detailing the scope of the problem and the recommendations to handle it. He
said he will follow the recommendations.
The first hints of possible test-taking problems surfaced
in late 2009 after reports of instances in the Washington field office. President
of the FBI Agents Association Konrad Motyka wrote a letter to the inspector general
several months ago saying agents were confused about the test-taking rules.
(Photo
courtesy: AP Images)
