DISTURBING

High-Ranking FBI Official Was a ‘Skilled Predator’ Who Harassed 8 Women: Watchdog

FBI Special Agent James Hendricks was accused of sexual harassment by eight women, an internal report says. Even so, he was allowed to retire quietly and with full benefits.

A now-retired senior FBI official who led the bureau’s Albany, New York, office sexually harassed eight different women, according to an internal report by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog. According to an Office of Inspector General report obtained by the Associated Press, one woman described carrying a ruler at FBI headquarters in order to smack away Special Agent James Hendricks’ hands when he would try to grope her. Other former colleagues said that Hendricks was a “skilled predator” who would often gawk at and try to touch female co-workers inappropriately, or make uncomfortable comments about their dress. Hendricks had made headlines last year as part of an AP investigation into a number of senior FBI officials who had been allegedly transferred or quietly allowed to retire with full benefits and pension, even after internal investigations turned up evidence of sexual misconduct claims against them.