Sen. Chuck Grassley calls on DOJ to investigate FBI's handling of sexual misconduct claims

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is calling on the Justice Department inspector general to review the FBI's management of sexual misconduct claims. 

Sen. Grassley raised concerns about the FBI's mishandling of sexual misconduct claims back in October. Reports came out last month alleging that 665 FBI personnel have either retired or resigned in order to avoid being held accountable in misconduct probes over the past two decades, the AP reported. 

The FBI had said they would get back to Grassley on his original concerns in October, but failed to do so. The Iowa senator is now calling for a full investigation.

"FBI employees should not have to suffer under daily abuse and misconduct by their colleagues and supervisors. Accordingly, I am requesting that you immediately open a review of the Justice Department's and FBI's management of sexual misconduct claims, including how many employees who separated from federal service before the resolution of an investigation received the required notice in their personnel file, the apparent failure to ensure the Javelin database includes full and complete data, and the unequal application of disciplinary rules," Grassley's letter to the Justice Department inspector general read.

In Grassley's letter, he states that it is possible that even more than 665 FBI personnel could have been involved with mismanagement of sexual misconduct claims and have gotten away with it. 

"It's been alleged to my office that the data involved an element of sexual misconduct, which comports with the purpose of the Javelin review that was done because of the Associated Press article," the letter states. "That document is attached to this letter."

"Importantly, the document notes, '[t]his dataset does not include retirements or resignations which occurred during an ongoing misconduct investigation or prior to the initiation of a formal investigation.' In other words, it appears that the number of retirements and resignations could be much higher than 665 individuals," the letter continued.

As of now the Justice Department inspector general has not responded to Grassley's request.