Thursday, February 08, 2007

 

This one won't die

From a comment on an earlier post:

I heard today (AD Level) John Mitchell DID have classified data on his laptop at home. Don't lose site of this one because LANS would sure like us to forget it!

Mike needs to address this during his all-hands meeting next Monday. If he ignores it, then we will know that the rumor is most likely true. If he openly addresses it, and says that the rumored event did not occur, then he owes us an explanation of why Mitchell really did quit after just 5 months on the job. The FBI investigation findings are just months away, so an outright lie, or a lie by omission will only purchase that much time. If, by some remote chance someone has the courage to ask him a question about the purported security infraction and Mike says that he cannot comment because of the ongoing investigation, then we will know that Mitchell probably did in fact have classified material on a computer at his home.

Pretending that his rumor is not circulating, as LANS has chosen to do to date, will only cause more damage, although LANS' credibility really can't sink very much lower.

-Pat

Comments:
LANS has adopted the Nanos approach on this one. Lie, try to divert attention away from the facts all while protecting the high-level managers. Recall, in 2004 it wasn't until the FBI report was finally released in the DX non-missing disk fiasco that Nanos finally left. By that point, UC had had 6 months to attempt to refocus the justification for the shutdown of 2004 on safety issues, rather than security issues.

Nanos' reward for lying: a big, fat golden parachute. What do you suppose Mikey's reward will be?
 
Uhhhh...if this were true, wouldn't LANS had to have reported it to NNSA/DOE?
 
Um, yes, given that they were not able to cover the incident up. Clearly you are not current on this particular rumor. Mitchell was turned in, as the rumor goes. Reported. The cat was instantly out of the bag; NNSA had to be notified. The FBI became involved.

LANS has remained tight-lipped, except for the perfunctory Kevin Roark-lipped lie that claimed Mitchell had left after just 5 months on the job when he suddenly discovered that he had a family.
 
10:24, clearly not. Thanks for the update. Interesting, so J. Edgar is supposedly involved. Since that is a pretty serious allegation, I'll reserve judgment until I hear how the story plays out.

Somewhat on the topic, when Nanos was the Director I provided him with a comment in an upward appraisal to the effect that the little people always know eventually. That was before the disk fiasco, shutdown, etc. I would do the same again, but I really don't think there is much desire on the part of LANS for any type of appraisal other than for the Award Fee.

Many posters on the old blog told LANS they had no clue what they were getting into with LANL.

Someday, someone will turn the past 10-15 years at LANL into a case study in organizational dynamics.
 
Wasn't Mitchell pulled out of Y-12 rather quick and replaced with Denny Roddy who also was replaced overnight?
 
I doubt anyone is going to ask Mike any tough questions and nobody is going to ask Mike about Mitchell.
 
Oh, I don't know, 6:36. The distinct possibility exists that some stupid woman will ask him when LANS plans to start a free daycare program. That would be tough.
 
Mike is holding a "no agenda" meeting with managers following the All-Hands meeting, anyone know what this is about? What's with all the secrecy? So much for trust!
 
Re: the "No Agenda" meeting, it is quite possible that Mike has decided that the eminent general knowledge of Mitchell's massive fubar is unavoidable, and he wants to have a last ditch strategy session to try seek out a damage control plan.

If I were Mike, I'd seriously be considering how to break my contract too.
 
All Mike cares about is LLNL - he has openly made efforts to sabotage LANLs chances to get RRW by saying LLNL should get it. He will have no problem braking his contract as long as he gets back to his friends in California.
 
"If I were Mike, I'd seriously be considering how to break my contract too."

No worries. If Mitchell really did get caught with LANL classified material on a computer at this home, none of the top LANS management will need to worry about fulfilling the terms of their contracts. Congress will take care of that for them.
 
Anyone seen the ADTR lately?
 
"...although LANS' credibility really can't sink very much lower."

Pat, that's just crazy talk. Why I just looked up credibility in the dictionary, and there was a picture of the "Fab Five" right there.
 
All managers meetings go down to the group leader level. Not a chance in hell Mike would ask such lowly folk for help with strategy. It's going to be a good old-fashioned pep talk, as in "I'll start this laboratory over with 10 people if I have to."
 
ADTR had knee surgery, so don't be in a panic or get your conspiracy theory hat on.
 
I hope he gets back soon. I miss the emails from Doug. I enjoy it when he talks about his strategic committees and tactical meetings with senior managers in advisory groups to come up with plans to have a retreat to develop a Mission Statement for TR.
 
The least harm is done to the working folks if ADTR stays out of touch with us and continues to spin yarns at the highest levels.
 
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