WASHINGTON — Empower Oversight whistleblower advisor and retired ATF Agent Pete Forcelli has written a new book providing his own detailed accounting of the Operation Fast and Furious scandal and the consequences that plagued the ATF for years afterward.
When Forcelli was promoted to a supervisory position in Phoenix after a highly respected career in New York City, he quickly discovered that federal prosecutors were not charging criminals for violating federal firearms laws. Even more shocking to learn was that those in charge knew the guns were being trafficked to violent drug cartels and then used in crimes.
When John Dodson, a special agent who blew the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious, was being attacked by his supervisors and threatened by prosecutors, Forcelli stepped forward and contacted Congress.
According to the book back cover, “Forcelli became a whistleblower himself, detailing how federal prosecutors in Arizona not only failed to prosecute gun traffickers, but allowed a man who was making hundreds of hand grenades for the Sinaloa Cartel to continue his operations unabated for years. At that moment, those prosecutors and officials from the Department of Justice came after him, leading to a nearly four-year battle for Forcelli to clear his name.”
The book’s insider’s account of Operation Fast and Furious and the scandal that ensued, will continue to shed light on one of worst episodes in federal law enforcement.
Forcelli is President and CEO of Integritas Leadership & Resilience Solutions and also serves on Empower Oversight’s Whistleblower Advisory Panel—an initiative that invites those with experience blowing the whistle to volunteer their time to help others in similar circumstances.
“When I blew the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious, I outlined a pattern of dysfunction in my own agency and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona,” said Forcelli.
“It was my duty to come forward. Nothing more, nothing less. This led to four years of retaliatory investigations that nearly bankrupted me, but in hindsight, I know I got off easy. Many other whistleblowers have had their security clearances revoked; been bankrupted; terminated from government service; and had their personal lives ruined.
“Long before leaving Capitol Hill and launching Empower Oversight, Jason Foster and Tristan Leavitt had my back during my battle to clear my name and keep my job. How dare I not repay that debt. If I can help whistleblowers navigate the minefield of speaking truth to power, then I feel as though I am still honoring the oath of office that I took in order to serve the people of the United States of America and doing right by those who did right by me. It’s just the right thing to do,” said Forcelli.
The book will be released on March 5, 2024. To preorder the book, The Deadly Path: How Operation Fast & Furious and Bad Lawyers Armed Mexican Cartels, visit here.
To donate to Empower Oversight to help other law enforcement whistleblowers, please visit DefendWhistleblowers.com.