Washington, D.C. - Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn & Queens) is pressing the FBI for an explanation of why numerous New Yorkers were turned down for jobs with the agency.  Dozens applied for jobs as language translators, but none were hired.

Shortly after 9-11, the FBI approached Brooklyn’s sizable Sephardic Jewish community, most of whom are of Syrian origin, as part of an urgent effort to address a shortage of Arab language translators.  Sephardic Bikur Holim, a Sephardic Jewish organization based in Brooklyn, organized an effort that resulted in approximately 90 applicants.  None were hired.

In November, Weiner and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) approached FBI Director Robert Mueller for an explanation why so many New Yorkers had been turned away.  Mueller replied that the FBI could not respond without a list of the applicants in question.

So Weiner and Pallone, joined by Reps. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) and Peter Deutsch (D-FL), submitted a list of 59 rejected applicants to Mueller, and renewed their request for a full accounting of why they were not hired. 

            “The FBI has an urgent need for Arab language translators, so their failure to hire dozens of qualified New Yorkers is perplexing, at the least,” said Rep. Weiner.   “It is time for the FBI to give a full accounting of their hiring decisions in these cases.”