
Episode #75
Lawfare and FBI Incentives
In this revealing interview, former FBI special agent Greg Dillon walks host Linda Szynkowicz through the full arc of his law‑enforcement career, from a teenage dream in New Haven to the inner workings of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Dillon details the grueling application pipeline—written test, physical exam, psychological screening, oral board—and the brutal attrition rate that left only a fraction of applicants moving forward. He recounts his frustration at being stuck in Virginia, the long‑haul commute to D.C., and the realization that a transfer back to New England could take another decade. Choosing a detour, Dillon joined the Connecticut Office of the Chief State's Attorney, where he soon partnered with John "Jack" Bailey Jr. on a high‑profile fugitive task force that blended state investigators with FBI agents. The conversation pivots to the FBI’s practice of converting state warrants into federal ones for the sake of statistical credit. Dillon explains the Quality Step Increase (QSI) program—a raise tied to the number of federal warrants an agent helps generate—arguing that financial incentives can distort investigative priorities without enhancing penalties. He describes how this pressure led to a flood of federalized cases, many of which were merely state crimes, and how whistleblowing on the practice cost him his career advancement, leaving him sidelined for years. Dillon also shares the personal toll of confronting a culture that discourages mental‑health support, detailing how seeking counseling could jeopardize an agent’s gun certification. The interview closes with reflections on resilience, the moral weight of exposing systemic flaws, and the lingering impact of lawfare on those who dare to speak out. Listeners gain an insider’s view of FBI bureaucracy, the hidden economics of law enforcement, and the human cost of institutional retaliation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

