"Now there is a federal grand jury sitting attempting to come up with something to indict me on," Sterling wrote. Recalling how his discrimination suit was tossed out of court on "national security" grounds, he added: "I think it is deplorable how I am denied the opportunity to utilize the courts to defend my civil rights, yet they can use the same system to most likely charge me with a supposed crime."
Like his going through channels to file an internal complaint with the CIA and then a court lawsuit alleging racial discrimination at the agency, Sterling's going through channels to express concerns to the Senate Intelligence Committee was to be repeatedly used against him during the January 2015 trial that resulted in a prison sentence of three and a half years.
Inside the courtroom, in front of the jury, the prosecution often cited his lawsuit and his contact with Senate Intelligence Committee staffers as clear indications of bitterness, vengefulness and motive for taking the actions alleged in the indictment.
At the CIA and the Justice Department, authorities routinely depicted Jeffrey Sterling as a "disgruntled" employee. During interviews for "The Invisible Man," he addressed how that depiction has played out for him:
"I think the label 'disgruntled' came from the moment that I complained, in any aspect. I was not being part of the team. ... People say that individuals play the race card. What about the other side of that? The race card was certainly being played with me. And you can say it was the white race card because I wasn't white. They had all those cards. ... And if there isn't going to be a true, real, honest investigation with any veracity, the natural conclusion is going be 'disgruntled.' It's a very easy label to place."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
3
2
2
