Calvin J. Weber v. Robert L. Buhrkuhl ( 1995 )


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  •                                     ___________
    No. 95-2554
    ___________
    Calvin J. Weber,                          *
    *
    Appellant,                  *
    *
    v.                                   * Appeal from the United States
    * District Court for the
    Robert L. Buhrkuhl, Civ. Project *       Eastern District of Missouri.
    Mgr.; Diane Ottolini, Civ.                *
    Personnel Mgr.; Nicholas J.               *        [UNPUBLISHED]
    Ciccarello, U.S. Army Col.,               *
    Named Federal Officials in their *
    individual capacities,                   *
    *
    Appellees.                 *
    ___________
    Submitted:     November 27, 1995
    Filed:   December 21, 1995
    ___________
    Before WOLLMAN, MAGILL, and HANSEN, Circuit Judges.
    ___________
    PER CURIAM.
    Calvin J. Weber appeals from the district court's1 dismissal of his
    Bivens2 action against federal officials.         We affirm.
    During the Gulf War, Weber, a civilian Army engineer, informed
    various news media organizations and legislators that the Army was covering
    up reliability problems and not providing soldiers with the best equipment
    available.    In June 1993, the Army terminated
    1
    The Honorable Catherine D. Perry, United State District Judge
    for the Eastern District of Missouri.
    2
    Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of
    Narcotics, 
    403 U.S. 388
    (1971).
    Weber.    Believing     that   his    termination      was   in    retaliation   for    his
    whistleblowing activities, Weber brought this Bivens action.               Weber claimed
    his free speech and due process rights were violated when defendant federal
    officials allegedly made false statements and perjured themselves during
    his administrative appeals of the revocation of his security clearance and
    his termination.
    The district court granted defendants' motion to dismiss for failure
    to state a claim, concluding that Weber's First Amendment allegations were
    conclusory, and that Weber's due process rights were not violated when his
    clearance was revoked because he had no right to a security clearance.
    We   review   de   novo   a     dismissal   for    failure     to   state   a   claim.
    Alexander v. Peffer, 
    993 F.2d 1348
    , 1349 (8th Cir. 1993).                  Even assuming
    that Weber's allegations identify a constitutional violation, the Civil
    Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) and the Whistleblower Protection Act of
    1989 (WPA) bar such a claim.       See 5 U.S.C. §§ 1211-16, 1221, 2302; Bush v.
    Lucas, 
    462 U.S. 367
    , 385-86, 390 (1983) (CSRA prevents the creation of new
    judicial remedies for federal employees whose First Amendment rights are
    violated by superiors); see also Gergick v. Austin, 
    997 F.2d 1237
    , 1239
    (8th Cir. 1993) (CSRA exclusive remedy for government employees with claims
    under WPA), cert. denied, 
    114 S. Ct. 1536
    (1994).                 We disagree with Weber
    that defendants' actions fall outside the scope of CSRA "prohibited
    personnel practices."    Cf. 
    Bush, 462 U.S. at 385
    n.28 (noting conduct such
    as wiretapping, warrantless searches, or uncompensated takings would not
    be "personnel actions" within statutory scheme); Moon v. Philips, 
    854 F.2d 147
    , 150 (7th Cir. 1988) (supervisor ordering plaintiff to file false
    report not conduct within exception).
    The district court also correctly determined that Weber's due process
    claim based on revocation of his security clearance did not amount to a
    constitutional violation.       See Department of Navy v.
    -2-
    Egan,    
    484 U.S. 518
    , 528-29 (1988) (no right to security clearance;
    therefore no right to Merit Systems Protection Board review of grant or
    denial of clearance on due process grounds); Dorfmont v. Brown, 
    913 F.2d 1399
    , 1404 (9th Cir. 1990) (due process challenge to revocation of security
    clearance not colorable constitutional claim), cert. denied, 
    499 U.S. 905
    (1991).
    Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.
    A true copy.
    Attest:
    CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT
    -3-