Opinion ID: 3181052
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Parkinson and Facility Build-Out 1

Text: Parkinson served as a special agent with the Sacramento field office of the FBI. Beginning in 2006, Parkinson served as the leader of a special operations group (“group” or “SOG”), and was tasked with relocating a previously compromised undercover facility. In 2006, the FBI leased a facility from James Rodda (“Rodda”), who agreed to contribute $70,000 to be used for “construction, construction documents, permits and fees” (“tenant improvement funds”). Parkinson negotiated the terms of the lease on behalf of the FBI, and managed the tenant improvement funds. In February of 2008, partway through the facility build-out, Parkinson met with Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gregory Cox (“Cox”), and made whistleblowereligible disclosures, implicating two pilots involved with the group in misconduct. In August 2008, Cox and Parkinson’s immediate supervisor, Supervisory Special Agent Lucero (“Lucero”), issued Parkinson a low performance rating, removed him as group leader, and thereafter reassigned him to another field office. Believing these acts to be retaliation for his February 2008 disclosure, Parkinson sent a letter to Senator Charles Grassley, who forwarded Parkinson’s whistleblower reprisal allegations to the Department of Justice’s Office of the Investigator General (“OIG”) for investiga- 1 The detailed factual background herein is based on reports by the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) and the Office of Professional Responsibility (“OPR”), the Board’s opinion, and the testimony of record. Except where indicated, these facts are not in dispute. 4 PARKINSON v. DOJ tion. OIG, in turn, opened a whistleblower reprisal investigation.