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Comment by ClumsyPilot | Hacker News Reader

"threat assessment' coordinator from my workplace" "I feared that I may lose my job."

I understand that police/FBI have to conduct investigation. What dont understand is involvement of the employer , it's extremely disturbing - you have not been convincted, you have not been charged, you are not even a suspect or accused of anything at this point - how is your private life the business of your employer?

Why is your privacy being breached and livehood being placed at risk?

Surely the FBI is not allowed to publicise random dirt they find on innocent people?

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The FBI still has buildings named after J Edgar Hoover. That should tell you everything you need to know about their institutional respect for justice and due process.

For non-americans, what was J Edgar Hoover known for?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover#Investigation_...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover#Reaction_to_ci...

I'm also not an American - but as far as I've read - massive abuse of power in using the FBI to spy on political rivals, illegal wiretapping, illegal surveillance of US congressmen and even presidents, running the FBI while they were doing extremely controversial programs like COINTELPRO and programs and investigations that tried to hinder the civil rights movement, etc.

As a non American, I think COINTELPRO is the single most anti-democratic abuse of power ever done by US government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO#Range_of_targets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO#Alleged_methods

Turning the FBI into a blackmail operation.

Being in the pocket of the mob

Cross dressing

> Surely the FBI is not allowed to publicise random dirt they find on innocent people?

If they're doing an investigation, they very likely got the employer involved in order to get more information on the person they're investigating, and companies have liaisons for law enforcement, as well. If the FBI comes knocking and says, "we think you've hired a terrorist," it's going to ruffle some feathers at the company no matter how unfounded or untruthful the claim is.

It isn't just the suspicion of terrorism that might have law enforcement or the FBI knocking at an employer's door. If someone is suspected of any type of cyber crime, the FBI will be coming for all of their computers and electronic devices, including the ones they use at work.

"If they're doing an investigation, they very likely got the employer involved in order to get more information on the person they're investigating"

What is an employer going to contibute, realistically. "Oh yeah, he always carries potassium nitrate and makes explosions during lunch breaks!"

Depending on the company they would likely audit their activities incase the company itself was a vector, assuming that terrorists also require intelligence networks.

This is par for the course FBI intimidation tactics, along with interviewing everyone you've regularly conversed with. Serves a double purpose of investigation while simultaneously making you radioactive to be around.

Thereby isolating the person during a period of high emotional anxiety.

Employer might have been defense contractor. Most jobs without clearance don't even have "threat assessment coordinaror".

> Most jobs without clearance don't even have "threat assessment coordinaror"

The title may vary from place to place but all companies have people filling this role, even if you've never met them.

Normally falls somewhere under a team like Global Intelligence, Workplace Security, Business Continuity, etc.

No, most places do not have Global Intelligence, Workplace Security positions. Business Continuity is most often a IT business function ...

Companies that employ software engineers likely are divided into those that have that role and those that don't have it yet.

You deserve to be always assumed innocent until proven guilty, and you will have to be proven guilty to be found guilty, and realistically speaking, those premises are extremely technical.

You don't have to be found guilty to be punished, lookup "case load". That can keep you on probation and monitoring as long as they want to draw out the case and the whole time you are required to make monthly payments or risk going to jail.

In the US, the process IS the punishment.

One of the principle argument for the "speedy trial" clause of the US 6th Amendment, and similar rights in other jurisdictions.

Note that the US law does not apply to noncriminal processes --- civil lawsuits or other elements of law.

How about a State felony case that has taken nearly two years?

How about it?

Without specifics, or some indication of who is triggering the delay (e.g., defendants may request delays), I couldn't possibly comment.

Given law and legal processes are not my baliwick, I'd probably not be able to comment intelligently regardless. But you've posed a null-content question.

The State Attorney General dragging the case out because they refuse to look at it. They also filed it under the wrong statue so their arguments are incorrect.

Seems possible grounds for a challenge. The entire case can be dismissed if the right is denied.

https://www.justia.com/criminal/procedure/right-to-a-speedy-...

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/the-right-speedy-tri...

Not during COVID times...

He is already being punished.

I'm reading a book where the main character receives a subpoena to go to a interview with the Portugal dictatorship political police. Nothing happens to him (till now) but everybody in the hotel where he is hosted starts to treat him differently.

Who will be the first in the line when a firing is necessary? Probably the guy that has problems with the FBI.

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