State Dept. Whistleblower Sued in Retaliation by John Kerry — and the Case Could Reveal Sordid Accusations of Department Misconduct

Richard “Rick” Higbie has spent more than a month under a barrage of financial attacks by the Northern District of Texas U.S. attorney’s office under the direction of the State Department. The attacks are an attempt to silence the government agent and they originate from the very people he has sworn an oath to protect.

Higbie is a distinguished 16-year veteran of the Diplomatic Security Services, the arm of the State Department that investigates crimes and provides protection to diplomats overseas.

But he has been battling his employers almost his entire career, starting when his then-infant daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder and his supervisors suggested he quit his job.

Higbie said his government employers claimed that his child’s illness created a situation where he could not work overseas as a foreign service officer. When he fought back with a discrimination lawsuit, he began to feel the full force of the State Department coming down on him. The message: Don’t cross us.

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