Report says "highly inappropriate" conduct by former head of FBI



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The former head of the FBI's Milwaukee Field Office is the target of a condemning report. The report by the the Department of Justice mentions her handling of the Sikh temple shooting. The subject of that report is Teresa Carlson.

Carlson is not being prosecuted, but may face disciplinary action. The report says her conduct was, "highly inappropriate," and showed, "a troubling lack of judgement."

"It appears that Page died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," said Carlson.

In the days and weeks after the Sikh temple shooting, Teresa Carlson was the face of the FBI.

"We're looking for any possible motive, and right now we still don't have one," said Carlson.

At the time, Carlson was in charge of the FBI's Milwaukee Field Office. Carlson has since been removed from that job, and now a scathing report offers one explanation why.

The U.S. Department of Justice says in the wake of the shooting, "There were both perceived and real communication issues between the Chief of the Oak Creek Police Department, and Special Agent in charge Carlson" as their departments investigated the shooter's past.

"We've got leads going a lot of different places," said Carlson.

Though Carlson and Chief John Edwards appeared to a press conference together, the chief confirmed to FBI inspectors, there were problems.

When those inspectors interviewed an agent who spoke candidly about Carlson, the report says Carlson admonished the agent -- something the report calls, "highly inappropriate."

Chief Edwards turned down an interview request from FOX6 on Friday, saying he thinks the report speaks for itself.

Edwards says his department has always worked well with FBI agents on the ground, and any communication issues have been resolved. He says the shooting investigation itself was never jeopardized.

An FBI spokesman will only say, "this is a personal matter so we cannot comment."

The report also goes into depth about another case involving Carlson. It says she coached a special agent on how to testify in a lawsuit filed by Justin Slaby, a wounded war vet trying to become an FBI agent.

FOX6 News attempted to reach out to Carlson on Friday, but were unsuccessful.

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