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This is Speaking of Faith, conversation about belief, meaning, ethics, and ideas.

I'm Krista Tippett.

Today, work and conscience. We'll explore some practical implications of spirituality at work

with syndicated columnist Tim McGuire. But first, FBI special agent, Colleen Rowley.

In May 2002, Colleen Rowley wrote a now famous 13-page letter to the CEO of her place of work,

the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She meant it to be a private letter,

but it was leaked to the press and within weeks, Colleen Rowley found herself testifying

before Congress. She had raised serious and painstakingly detailed concerns about how the FBI

had handled leads prior to 9-11. I do want to welcome special agent, Colleen M. Rowley,

of the FBI. She came to the attention of this committee when she wrote a letter to director

Mueller that was given to members. Agent Rowley is a patriotic American who had the courage

to put truths first and raise critical but important questions about how the FBI handled a

terrorist case. Agent Rowley, your testimony today is a great service to this committee,

the entire Congress, the FBI.

The first thing I want to do is thank you for the opportunity to appear today. I never really

anticipated this kind of impact when I wrote this letter to director Mueller two weeks ago.

In the final paragraph of that letter, almost as an afterthought, this mother of four

asked for protection under federal whistleblower provisions. And it is as a whistleblower,

one of three named time magazine persons of the year that she will go down in history.

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