[ by Melanie Gretchen and Howard Haykin ]

The SEC's new lead investigator in the Office of the Inspector General for Investigations - aka, SEC's watchdog office - was placed on administrative leave after he talked openly about wanting to carry a concealed firearm at work and some employees complained he was a physical threat, according to people familiar with the matter.  His lawyer said his client is being wrongfully retaliated against for a complaint he made earlier this year.

David Weber, who was appointed just 4 months ago as the new assistant inspector general, was placed on leave on Tuesday after internal security personnel revoked his SEC identification and banned him from entering SEC headquarters in Washington D.C.  Among the complaints about Mr. Weber were that he:

• openly talked about wanting to carry a concealed firearm inside SEC Headquarters.
• solicited investigators inside the office to participate in special training so they could become eligible for a concealed weapons permit.
• brought a bullet-proof vest into work

Reason for Weber's Actions. It's not clear what prompted Mr. Weber to feel so strongly about carrying a firearm to work.  Perhaps he felt threatened by his SEC associates after he filed a complaint about alleged misconduct in the inspector general's office earlier in the year - though it just came to light this month.

According to Weber's lawyer, Chris Mead, "The timing doesn't make any sense because he was not considered threatening until people had a motive for retaliating against him.  A chronology of events will reveal that any allegations against my client are not only false, but are unlawful retaliation against an employee who did the right thing."

What Happened at the SEC's Office of Inspector General. This highly publicized department - led by H. David Kotz, the former Inspector General who, until he left in January 2012, had been very vocal and a driving force to publicizing waste and deficiencies at the Commission - came under scrutiny itself, shortly before Kotz left the job.  Questions had been raised about Mr. Kotz's tactics and ethical behavior.  [C-I Note: Was this Mr. Weber's complaint or another one?]  Mr. Kotz, who now works as a managing director at the private investigative firm Gryphon Strategies, denied any wrongdoing and added that Mr. Weber's accusations "completely and utterly ludicrous and untrue."

Going forward, AT-RISK, a security consulting firm, has been hired to review the complaints about Weber's conduct, the sources said, as the firm's investigators interview employees inside the watchdog office about their interactions with Mr. Weber.

For further details, go to [Reuters, 5/10/12].