Head of National Drug Intelligence Center Fired

Newsbrief: Head of National Drug Intelligence Center Fired

7/9/04


In May, DRCNet reported on widespread allegations of mismanagement, favoritism and sexism at the National Drug Intelligence Center (http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/). A rising chorus of complaints from the center's 400 employees led the Justice Department to send a team to investigate (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/336/ndic.shtml). NDIC, located in Johnstown, PA, tracks drug trends, issues intelligence reports ("threat assessments"), and provides counter-drug intelligence to other favorite agencies.

At the time Justice said it was responding to complaints made in a letter by NDIC employees charging that director Michael Horn created an intimidating atmosphere, overplayed the agency's role in counter-terrorism efforts, treated most women in a hostile manner, and traveled excessively with one woman, his assistant Mary Lou Rodgers. Although NDIC's mandate is for domestic drug intelligence, Horn and Rodgers racked up $164,000 in travel expenses for trips to such non-domestic locations as Jamaica, Barbados, Paris, London, Romania, and Hong Kong.

Now, according to the Associated Press, Justice has finished its investigation and Horn is out of a job. He was fired June 28. The Justice Department said the complaints from employees at the center were warranted. "We listened to what they said and we acted on it," said department spokesman Mark Corallo.

Horn will be replaced temporarily by Drug Enforcement Administration international operations chief Martin Pracht while a permanent replacement is found, the AP reported.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/345/ndic.shtml