*UPDATE* Whistlerblower Beat Down Not Related to Whisteblowing
When I originally posted about this rather odd story, I expressed extreme doubt that an employee of the Los Alamos lab had been jumped in order to persuade him not to testify against the government, and now an investigation has determined that the fight that occurred was not related to the lab. Here is the AP update:

An attack on a Los Alamos nuclear lab auditor outside a bar was unrelated to his status as a whistleblower, authorities said Thursday, calling into question the man's allegation that he was beaten to ensure his silence.

Tommy Hook, 52, suffered a broken jaw, a herniated disc and missing teeth in the attack outside the Cheeks nightclub in Santa Fe early Sunday. He has said the beating was carried out by thugs intent on keeping him from talking about alleged financial irregularities at the nuclear lab.

But investigators disputed that account Thursday, saying the attack occurred after Hook's car struck a pedestrian while leaving the club.

"Facts, evidence and information obtained during the course of this investigation has led investigators to believe that the altercation involving Mr. Hook is an isolated incident and is in no way related to Mr. Hook's whistleblower status at the Los Alamos National Laboratories," Santa Fe Deputy Police Chief Eric Johnson said in a statement.

The investigation is "leaning toward a fight in the parking lot as a result of Mr. Hook backing into a pedestrian," Johnson said. He said after Hook hit the pedestrian, he exited his vehicle, "at which time the confrontation escalated into a physical attack."

If this new account is accurate, and my belief is that it is substantially true, then I have nothing but contempt for Mr. Hook. Lying about the reason he visited a strip club was bad enough, but that he did it in a way that tarnishes the credibility of whistleblowers is quite shameful.Email This Post!