SANTA MONICA, Calif.
— Former FBI agent Christopher Carreon, who is suing the Obama administration, said Tuesday he is taking administrative leave, effective Aug. 4, to become a “volunteer of the federal government.”
Carreon, a partner in the firm Carreon & Associates, was fired last week for allegedly stealing $2.2 million from the agency.
He is suing to get back his job, saying he was terminated because of an investigation into his handling of an internal corruption probe.
Carreon is suing on behalf of a former colleague who was also fired, and the U.S. attorney’s office for Northern California.
The former colleague filed suit against the FBI in November alleging wrongful termination and malicious prosecution.
The FBI declined comment.
The former FBI employee said he was fired because Carreon had asked for a raise from $500,000 a year to $1.8 million.
He said the FBI also fired his supervisor after Carreon failed to disclose to supervisors that he was on leave to attend a congressional meeting.
Carreon was the FBI’s head of counterintelligence, where he handled counterterrorism and cybersecurity investigations.
The agency has been criticized for its handling of the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The Justice Department is investigating the Flynn investigation.
In his lawsuit, Carreon accuses the Obama Administration of violating the Emoluments Clause of the U of A Constitution, which bars U. S. government officials from accepting payments or gifts from foreign governments, foreign governments or companies without the consent of Congress.
Carreon said the Obama Adminstration also violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act by refusing to register lobbyists who lobby for foreign governments.
The Emolument Clause states that no U. States citizen, officeholder, employee or agent of the United States, shall receive any present, Emoliment, Office, or Emolination from any foreign government without the Consent of Congress, except as authorized by law.
The Obama Administration has the authority to issue such exemptions for federal employees who are on leave from their official duties or who have been injured in the line of duty, but the Obama Administrations refusal to register and register lobbyists is illegal.
The Obama Admintration is also violating the Uta-Carrington Act, which prohibits federal employees from accepting gifts from non-U.
S citizens or foreign governments without the authorization of Congress and is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to five years.
The Obama Administration is not the only federal agency to face a backlash for its failure to register lobbying and lobbying related payments.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who served as an adviser to former President George W. Bush, also filed a lawsuit against the UTA-Carriage Act.
The UTA Act, also known as the Foreign Agent Registration Act, prohibits U.s. citizens and foreigners from making foreign donations to U. K. political campaigns.
The British government has been hit by similar lawsuits alleging illegal payments from the Ural government.