Stronger Whistle-Blower Protection Passes Senate

Mason's colleagues created a mock news video by splicing together congressional testimony by Mueller and Mason. Joseph Persichini Jr., the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington field office, presented Mason with an American flag that flew over FBI headquarters, the Capitol, and FBI offices where Mason worked in New Haven, Conn., Washington, Syracuse, N.Y., Buffalo and Sacramento.

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FBI Deputy Director John S. Pistole tossed Mason a basketball signed by his colleagues. Mason rose every morning at 3 a.m. and shot hoops in the FBI gym before arriving at his desk by 6. "It is a melancholy day," Pistole said.

In January, Mason becomes the chief security officer at Verizon Communications in Basking Ridge, N.J.

Resigning at DHS

Marta Brito P¿rez, the top personnel policy official at the Department of Homeland Security, will resign Jan. 6, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced yesterday.

P¿rez has worked on creating a new system for evaluating the job performance of department employees. She also tried to turn around employee attitudes after a 2005 survey in which the department got low marks on leadership, innovation and fairness.

Chertoff said P¿rez "leaves in place a strong transition plan and team that will carry the department through 2009."

Staff writers Sari Horwitz and Allan Lengel contributed to this column.