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CNN Live Today
A Look at Whistle-Blower Coleen Rowley
Aired May 30, 2002 - 14:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: A woman who has sent a scathing letter to the head of the FBI is quickly becoming one of the bureau's most well- known agents. Coleen Rowley earned instant respect and words of praise from Director Robert Mueller. But as CNN's Candy Crowley learned, those who know Rowley weren't surprised she took a stand.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Rowleys of Apple Valley, Minnesota live in a cul-de-sac so quiet that Ross Rowley was worried that their rooster was disturbing the peace. Itt's a friendly but not too friendly spot, where neighbors exchange waves and Christmas cards.
AUDREY PACHOLSKI, ROWLEY NEIGHBOR: They do a nice Christmas letter that I'm sure she organizes a lot of. And there are pictures, and the kids will write in their own handwriting, you know, and they'll tell stories of the year, what happened and what they've done. And not much about her -- the kids, the family.
CROWLEY: Coleen, who organized the Neighborhood Watch, is the breadwinner; Ross the stay-at-home dad. They were living the life Americana until Coleen wrote the memo that rocked the house that Hoover built.
DAG SOHLBERG, FORMER FBI AGENT: Coleen Rowley is a very forthright, direct, unassuming, intelligent person. I like to say that she's without guile. I mean, what you see is what you get; and what you get is a honest opinion when you ask it of her.
CROWLEY: Agent Rowley has spent nearly half her 21-year career in the Minneapolis division, where, among other things, she was the front person in the case of street killer Andrew Connomon (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JULY '97)
COLEEN ROWLEY: Well, we are continuing to basically pull out all the stops and exhaust every possible investigative lead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: An avid runner by passion, a lawyer by trade, Rowley was the go-to person for Minneapolis field agents who wanted wire tap or surveillance authority. Her scorching memo to the FBI was prompted in part by her unsuccessful pre-September 11 attempt to get bureau approval of a warrant to search the computer of Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called 20th hijacker.
ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: Let me just take a moment to thank Agent Rowley for her letter. It is critically important that I hear criticism of the organization, including criticisms of me, in order to improve the organization, to improve the FBI.
CROWLEY: Rowley isn't talking just now, but those who have worked with her describe Rowley as "tenacious" and "hard-working," a tough, type-A personality who enjoys literally running against the wind.
SOHLBERG: I've run in law enforcement runs with her in bad rain, and she seemed to thrive on it. You know, the rain and the wind in her face has kind of egged her on, and she enjoys the challenge.
CROWLEY: And around the cul-de-sac, they don't seem the least surprised that their neighbor took on her boss.
PACHOLSKI: But she knows what she wants, and she knows what she wants to do. You're not going to change that lady's mind.
CROWLEY (on camera): Some of those who know her are surprised but pleased it was Agent Rowley who so publicly criticized the bureau she has longed to work for since childhood. She was not one to draw attention to herself, said a former colleague. She worked hard, did her job, and then went home to be a wife and mother.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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