Why American cop and whistleblower Mark Dougan turned to Russia for sanctuary
Editor’s Note: This new documentary from RT features Palm Beach Sheriff Deputy Mark Dougan, a whistleblower-turned-political emigre. It illustrates the corruption of a local law enforcement agency and the very real dangers of running a blog critical of one’s publicly-elected employer. If the United States had a truly free press Dougan’s story wouldn’t be suppressed. Note that RT is, of course, a “Kremlin-funded” news outlet.
While flying close to a small airstrip just over the US border with Canada, the passenger aboard a small Cessna seemed to have a heart attack. After an emergency landing, he miraculously recovered, jumped out of the plane, threw some money at the pilot and ran away. A few days later, he resurfaced in Russia. It may sound like a spy novel plot, but it’s just one episode in the true story of real-life American cop-turned-whistleblower, Mark Dougan. After exposing endemic corruption in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, he had to fled the United States and found refuge in Russia.
After leaving the US Marine Corp in, Dougan wanted something more adventurous than an office job and became a police officer. After six years, he left the PBSO, appalled by the blatant criminal activity that he saw within the force. He later started a blog, giving honest cops a forum where they could anonymously discuss and expose illegal conduct by senior law enforcers, who predictably, hated it! After being hounded, harassed, and placed under surveillance for six years, The FBI raided John’s home and seized all his digital equipment; they even gave him his own code name; Bad Wolf.
That was when the whistleblower realised he had to flee and escaped to Russia, leaving behind his wife and young children. RTD’s new and exclusive film, Breaking Bad Wolf, tells his incredible story.
Editor’s Note/Update: It appears that the untimely and curious death of Deputy Jason Fitzsimons may have played a role in Broward deputies’ clear discontent with Scott Israel, something the story below does not delve into. The Deputies’ union association president, Deputy Jeff Bell, stated prior to the vote that the union is accusing Sheriff Israel of
“many instances of suspected malfeasance, misfeasance, failure to maintain fiduciary responsibility by the sheriff, failure to properly investigate possible criminal conduct by members of his senior command staff and the lack of leadership that has crushed morale throughout the agency.” (Emphasis added.]
As many MHB readers know, there has been a complete corporate media blackout of Fitzsimons’ death and the unusual circumstances surrounding it.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel’s image-rebuilding effort took a major hit Thursday when 85 percent of the deputies who voted in the International Union of Police Associations, Local IUPA 6020, electronic balloting used their votes to say they want Israel gone.
Israel’s only ray of light in the union count is the no-show total: The number of deputies who didn’t vote outnumbered the ones who did. Of a 1,300-member roster, the union received back ballots from 628 deputies — 534 of them expressing their dissatisfaction.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel and former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
On Friday, April 20, the union local sent out electronic ballots. Members were asked to lodge their collective opinion on Israel’s future following tempestuous months within their ranks as a result of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Israel had become a lightning rod in the weeks after the tragedy, at first appearing as a media fixture, later becoming the focus of negative speculation. As evidence emerged of inaction taken by his deputies during the shooting, and his department failing to intervene with the shooter after numerous visits to his home, Israel was eventually viewed as the sheriff whose inadequate leadership had let his troops down.
