Turmoil rocks U.S. Marshals Service office in Oklahoma City
The chief deputy U.S. marshal in Oklahoma City was put on administrative leave with pay this week because of allegations against him.
“I intend to vigorously fight the allegations against me and expose the political influence being exercised in an attempt to discredit the current United States marshal and myself,” the chief deputy, Craig C. Hines, said in a statement Friday.
His statement — released by his attorney Stephen Jones — did not provide any specifics about the allegations.
The personnel action against Hines is the latest development in the turmoil that has rocked the U.S. Marshals Service office in Oklahoma City for more than a year.
The U.S. Justice Department’s inspector general has conducted two investigations of the Oklahoma City office, the first in 2014 into allegations of fraud and misconduct and the second into allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers.
Reports on the investigations have not been made public.
Held post since 2011
U.S. deputy marshals provide security at federal courthouses and are responsible for tracking down fugitives and transferring prisoners. The U.S. marshal in Oklahoma City is currently Charles T. Weeks II.
Weeks was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 9, 2010, and took office on Jan. 7, 2011.
He is a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol major who was in charge of security for two governors.
Weeks did not respond directly this
week to a request for comment. Instead, a deputy told The Oklahoman, “The U.S. Marshals (Service) policy prohibits the release of any information regarding pending investigations, litigation or personnel matters.”
Hines, though, said the effort to discredit him and Weeks is being coordinated by former U.S. Marshal Michael Roach and Steve Carson, a retired Oklahoma City police officer who served on the Marshals Service task force.
Carson now works for U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City.
Hines said Roach and Carson are working to remove him and Weeks by involving Lankford. “Senator Lankford, in a word, is being used,” Hines said in his statement.
Roach denied being involved in any effort to discredit or remove Hines and Weeks. “I have no idea where they are coming from — none,” Roach said Friday night.
Carson on Friday night declined to comment.
Lankford serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the U.S. Marshals Service. He also is chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, which has jurisdiction over all federal employees.
The senator visited the U.S. Marshals Service office in Oklahoma City on Friday to encourage employees there and to meet with the new interim chief deputy, Kevin Platts, who is from Idaho. He also met with Suzanne Mitchell, who has been nominated for a U.S. district judgeship.
Last June, Lankford and U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, complained to U.S. Justice Department officials about whistleblower retaliation.
“Recently, whistleblowers from the U.S. Marshals Service ... have contacted our offices alleging their supervisors in the Western District of Oklahoma office have retaliated against them for communicating with the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General related to an ongoing investigation,” the senators wrote.
“As you may be aware, obstructing an OIG investigation is a crime, and taking any personnel action against an employee for speaking to the OIG is unacceptable and contrary to law,” they wrote.
U.S. marshals are political appointments so Weeks likely will be replaced next year once a new president is elected.