Homeland Security Dead Fish Update: Woman Swims in Icthy, Icthy Shoals

Remember the Homeland Security dead fish incident from last month? You know: the WMD scare that caused the FBI to swoop in and evacuate the Homeland Security building in D.C? To refresh your memories:

Senior DHS official Maureen McCarthy - who holds a top slot in the weapons of mass destruction intel department - received a package containing a dead fish and a mysterious white powder. The package was sent to her home. Instead of calling the police or the FBI or the Hazmat squad, McCarthy (get ready for it...) brought the dead fish to work. She reportedly left the fish for a time beneath a ventilation shaft; and then placed it inside a freezer in her office. At some point, the fish began to stink up the freezer, or maybe it flopped heavily on McCarthy's psyche; but in any case, actual law enforcement was called in. No one knew if the fish had been sprinkled with anthrax or God knows what, so the buliding, naturally, was evacuated.

The story was picked up and reported everywhere, even in China.

I am delighted to report that McCarthy has been placed in time out. The DHS won't let her back inside the office. Thankfully someone over there has a measure of sense.

But now, McCarthy reportedly is fighting back. A source told Government Executive that McCarthy has hired this fellow, Jon Roberts of The Marbury Group in Reston, Virginia. Roberts specializes in helping de-cleared government employees get their clearances back.

Roberts is author of the article, Security Clearance: I Messed Up, Now What? The article leads off with this zinger:

So you have a security clearance and are happily conducting all matter of great research and services to the government on a classified project. However, after a hardy night of celebrating the incoming New Year you drive home having consumed, perhaps a few too many alcoholic beverages. You are stopped by the local law enforcement who promptly arrests you, and because the alcohol was talking and not you, you tussle with the officer and wind up in the slammer for several days, charged with assaulting a police officer, and driving while under the influence. Oh well, happens to everyone you say? While this might be a common occurrence, it has a dramatic impact on your security clearance....

I kid you not. The guy really wrote this stuff.

McCarthy now swims in even stranger shoals than before. Icthy, icthy.