PORT ANGELES — Agent Christian Sanchez, who told the Congressional Transparency Caucus that the U.S. Border Patrol’s Port Angeles station was allowing unnecessary overtime, has reached an agreement with the agency on his claim of retaliation, the federal Office of Special Counsel announced today in Washington, D.C.
Agent Sanchez and agency officials settled their dispute through the Office of Special Counsel’s Alternative Dispute Resolution unit.
Though the Border Patrol admitted no wrongdoing, its representatives actively worked together with Agent Sanchez to find effective solutions to the situation, a statement from the Office of Special Counsel said.
The terms of the settlement are confidential.
“Mr. Sanchez showed courage by speaking out,” said Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner. “I commend both him and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for resolving their differences through mediation.”
Sanchez in July 2011 made a lengthy statement at a Washington, D.C., forum put on the transparency committee, a project of the nonprofit Sunlight Foundation, in which he questioned the buildup of Border Patrol agents on the North Olympic Peninsula.
“During our work shifts, other agents and I always talked about how coming to work was like the black hole, swallowing us up slowly with no purpose, no mission,” Sanchez said at the time.
He said he told his Port Angeles supervisors that there was nothing for him to do, and that “our station was misusing federal funds.” His testimony is on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/8m4ys4m.