The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has to take action and prosecute Special Agent Scott Douglas Nickerson who's been under investigation for 10 months after his ex-girlfriend sent DEA, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) several complaints about his behavior and more than 100 text messages and emails that document his harassment.
Agent Nickerson mentioned several times using governmental resources called "Obama Pay" to pay for expenses for his affairs, including accompanying him on DEA business trips. This woman sent DEA their hotel reservation, proving he booked a room for her in Fort Lauderdale using the "Obama Pay".
Nickerson also alleged that the DEA is falsely taking credit for drug seizures by Brazilian authorities in order to help justify the field office's funding. The woman provided info about the operations, including the day and time when reports were filled by Nickerson and other DEA agents in Sao Paulo using the Brazilian data.
DEA "receives money by telling congress how much money and dope we seize," he wrote. "In the US, everything is pretty accurate. here, however, the office in Brazil takes credit for everything the Brazilians do, even if they had nothing to do with it."
Agent Nickerson also sent at least five documents using his DOJ e-mail account and created in the DEA office in Sao Paulo detailing the DEA operations and associates of drug kingpins.
Nickerson sent a civilian names, mobile phones and PIN numbers of FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army), and the most dangerous Brazilian cartel "PCC" (First Command of the Capital) traffickers, including the secret phone and PIN numbers used by a leader of the Gulf Clan.
Agent Nickerson also asked her to translate official documents that included operational details of investigations to be shared with Brazilian authorities. This civilian had the documents before the Brazilian Federal Police had them, and could have disrupted the investigations. When she filled the complaints about him she included his original e-mails and memos he sent, hence DEA knew about this one year before the story was published.
Passing sensitive documents to people who are not meant to see them violates DEA rules and can be grounds for firing. It is not clear whether Nickerson's actions were unlawful.
After Buzzfeed News published the first story, the documents Nickerson shared became public and were posted hundreds of times. Nickerson's actions turned confidential documents into public archives, and gave access to drug delears' phone numbers to anyone who has access to internet.
Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the powerful committee that oversees the DEA and Department of Justice, sent a letter with 13 questions to Chuck Rosenberg, the DEA's acting administrator, and to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Senator Grassley didn't received a response from DEA until now.
The DEA has to take action. Investigate and prosecute this agent. This man cannot be a law enforcement agent.
