WASHINGTON – Nearly $4 million in gross back pay promised to FBI whistleblowers has now been paid to Empower Oversight clients, resolving a group of nine cases settled in August 2025 after years of retaliation.
The FBI still has yet to resolve one additional whistleblower case not in the original group of nine. That client—a senior official targeted by the Deputy Director during the Biden Administration for seeking a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine mandate—continues to face reprisal from career FBI executives for reporting their gross waste and abuse to new DOJ and FBI leadership.
“After we forced action to secure their settlements last year, it’s unacceptable that these whistleblowers had to endure further delay before receiving the back pay they earned. Nothing can fully undo years lost to illegal reprisals, but we are grateful to Senator Grassley, President Trump, the Justice Department and the Weaponization Working Group for beginning to make amends to these patriots,” said Tristan Leavitt, president of Empower Oversight. “We will keep working to resolve the one remaining case in good faith and demand accountability.”
The FBI targeted employees after some made protected whistleblower disclosures and other were pursued for their political beliefs by taking their security clearances and paychecks, often leading to indefinite suspensions. These tactics put whistleblowers in indefinite limbo, enabling the FBI to avoid due process and inflict financial distress. By suspending their pay, and blocking permission to take outside work, but without technically firing them, the FBI often forces employees to resign or retire early without a fair chance to challenge the decision, perpetuating the issue without resolution.
“My family should never have endured years of hardship, upheaval, loss of privacy, forced moves, financial strain, and public scrutiny at the hands of a weaponized government. We are grateful to finally put this long ordeal behind us,” whistleblower Garret O’Boyle said. “These wrongs were only addressed after the new leadership at the Department of Justice and FBI under the Trump Administration decided to settle my whistleblower complaints. I appreciate the time and effort of all those in DOJ and FBI who tried to do the right thing.”
In March 2025, Empower Oversight released details about its clients who were targeted because of their political beliefs. In a letter to the FBI’s General Counsel, the founder of Empower Oversight, Jason Foster, outlined each of the cases and pressed for the DOJ to make good on its promises to end the weaponization of the federal government, and protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
Leavitt expressed gratitude to U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley and other Capitol Hill allies who championed and worked with these whistleblowers.
“Senator Grassley worked with us every step of the way to ensure this administration could not ignore the need to remedy these injustices. Many of these whistleblowers reported DOJ and FBI misconduct to Congress, including significant disclosures to Chairman Jim Jordan and the House Judiciary Weaponization Subcommittee, so we are enormously grateful for the support of everyone on Capitol Hill who helped expose the politicization and weaponization of the FBI,” Leavitt said.
To read the full statement from Garret O’Boyle, click here.
To read the full statement from Zach Schoffstall, click here.
To read the full statement from Mike Zummer, click here.
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