WASHINGTON (CN) - A chemist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture sued the Justice Department, claiming it abusively got him suspended him from work and denied access to certain chemicals, falsely accusing him of "knowing involvement with an organization that engages in intentional crimes of violence."
Joseph Poett claims the U.S. Attorney General's Office made the unjust accusation that got him placed on leave on Sept. 11, 2006. Poett says he was permitted to return to work, but is not allowed access to "select agents and toxins when performing his duties as a chemist."
Poett says he "has never been knowingly involved with any organization that engages in intentional crimes of violence." In a June 2007 FOIA request, he demanded "the identity of the organization he was allegedly involved with, the acts he allegedly took, and the dates and times of the alleged actions he took."
The FBI refused to provide any of that information, Poett says.
Poett apparently believes that the accusations stem from problems he had with "a supervisor who was difficult to work with."
He wants to see the materials on which the defendants based their actions against him, or "a Vaughn index of materials it proposes to withhold". He is represented by Joan Harvill.
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