DHS Whistleblower Phil Haney's Death: Murder or Suicide?

“I have a severely hyper-organized archive of everything that’s happened since See Something, Say Nothing (SSSN) [Haney’s First Book] was published in May of 2016. The National Security Meltdown sequel will pick up right where SSSN left off. My intention is to have it ready by early-to mid-Spring of 2020…” – Philip Haney, in a text to the Washington Examiner, November 11, 2019, just three months before his death

It is unfathomable that after five months, Americans still do not know whether Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whistleblower Philip Haney’s violent death is a murder or suicide investigation. It is additionally incomprehensible that the Amador County Sheriff’s office immediately “reached out” to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for assistance, considering that Mr. Haney was a federal government whistleblower, indicating a clear potential conflict of interest.

What if Philip Haney, a founding member of DHS, had information that would implicate the FBI, particularly in reference to possible connections with the Muslim Brotherhood?

Shortly after RAIR Foundation USA submitted a list of (still unanswered) questions to the Amador County Sheriff’s office, a local report indicated that officials “expect FBI reports and analysis within the next few weeks and hope to complete their review shortly thereafter, comparing it with the information they have gathered from their own case investigation.” Does the phrase “complete their review” indicate that the investigation itself is nearing completion?

From the limited information available, it is known that Mr. Haney was shot, in the head or chest (there has been conflicting reporting on this), on February 21, 2020. He was found three miles from his home on the ground outside of his vehicle “in a park and ride open area immediately adjacent to State Highway 16 near State Highway 124,” according to a press release from the Amador County Sheriff’s office dated February 24th. See J.E. Dyer’s description of the area where he was found at Liberty Unyielding.

The Thumb Drive

For those who knew Mr. Haney personally, the question of a thumb drive he wore around his neck came up repeatedly. The documents he stored there were allegedly damning to the federal government. There was no discussion in the initial reporting of a “thumb drive” being recovered at the scene of his violent death. But the recent local report cited above stated:

“Amador County sheriff’s officials note that a forensic autopsy on Haney was performed by Sacramento County Coroner’s Office pathologists and that the sheriff’s department subsequently requested the FBI’s assistance in analyzing documents, phone records, numerous thumb drives and the laptop recovered from the Haney’s vehicle and RV.” (emphasis added)

The revelation that “thumb drives” were recovered could be significant and as mentioned, was previously not reported.

Initially, local reporter Tracey Peterson wrote in an article dated February 25, 2020:

“Found at the scene were a gun, a vehicle, documents, phone records, and a laptop. Haney’s lived in an RV park his trailer has also been seized, according to Sheriff’s officials who relay that they have also requested help from the FBI to process those items.”

Both Reps. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, and Steve King, R-Iowa confirmed the existence of the thumb drive.

On February 24, 2020, Glenn Beck stated:

“…I’d say hi to him, I’d hug him, and I’d slap him on the chest. He knew what that meant. I was feeling the thumb drive. ‘Cause there were documents he kept around his neck. I only know what a few of them were. Wonder if that thumb drive was found on the body.”

Those paying attention to the Philip Haney investigation are well aware of the importance of the thumb drive and the question remains whether a thumb drive was recovered from Mr. Haney’s person at the time of his death.

“Self Inflicted”?

The initial press release dated February 22nd from the Amador County Sheriff’s office used the phrase “self-inflicted,” which naturally led many to believe that it was determined that Mr. Haney committed suicide. From the original report:

“Upon their arrival, they located and identified 66-year-old Philip Haney, who was deceased and appeared to have suffered a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound. A firearm was located next to Haney and his vehicle. This investigation is active and ongoing. No further details will be released at this time.” (emphasis added)

After several outlets reported that Mr. Haney committed suicide, the initial press release was deleted and the new release stated that “there was misinformation immediately being put out that we have determined Mr. Haney’s death to be a suicide.” The “misinformation” was likely a direct result of the initial press release using the phrase “self-inflicted.”

“Everything we saw on-scene is consistent with somebody putting a gun to themselves and pulling the trigger,” said Amador County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Gary Redman at the time.

Philip Haney was a Threat to the Establishment

Just a few months before his death on November 11, 2019, the Washington Examiner received a text message from Mr. Haney discussing his plans to write a sequel to his first book, which described the Obama Administration’s effort to scrub individuals from the “Terrorist Screening Database” to “protect what it considered the civil rights of suspected Islamic terrorist groups.” The result was a “hands off” list of “over 1,000 foreign nationals with potential terrorist ties,” as confirmed by documents obtained by Judicial Watch.

“…[M]y story is still live, i.e., there’s still more to come,” Mr. Haney texted. He also had a name for his new book: “It’ll be called ‘National Security Meltdown,'” he said.

Mr. Philip Haney was featured prominently in author Trevor Loudon’s 2016 film: Enemies Within. Loudon and Haney, along with Director Judd Saul, became close during the filming. Saul told RAIR that there is “not a day that goes by” where he does not think of his friend. Phil Haney, a devout Christian, was also interviewed for Judd Saul’s upcoming film “Enemies Within The Church” which prominently features Pastor Cary Gordon.

Like many of those close to him, Saul does not believe Mr. Haney killed himself. In fact, the film director stated that during their last meeting together in October 2019, Haney expressed concerns about his own safety, stated directly that he would never kill himself and encouraged those working on the controversial film to “beef up on our security,” Saul said. Pastor Cary Gordon adamantly confirmed Mr. Saul’s account to RAIR in a separate conversation.

Pastor Cary told RAIR of a dinner the two shared at a restaurant in Des Moines after a conference not long before Mr. Haney’s death. The men spoke of their families, their lives and their deep Christian faith. During the conversation, which lasted two and half hours, both men were so moved that they shed tears that evening. Pastor Cary will always cherish that conversation, he said.

In April 2020, Trevor Loudon and Philip Haney were scheduled to travel together for a speaking tour in Washington state. One of the organizers of that tour told RAIR Foundation USA that the locations for the speaking engagements were kept hidden from participants until the last minute so that Antifa would be less likely to attack the speakers and harass the venues, effectively stripping their right to peaceably assemble. Pro-America liberty activists are well aware of this little-reported phenomenon. Little did anyone know at the time that Mr. Haney would not make that April tour.

Mr. Haney met a violent end, instead.

See the more recent release:

RAIR Foundation USA has reached out to the Amador County Sheriff’s office twice with a list of questions. So far, no reply. Watch the following video released on February 26, 2020 by Amador County Sheriff / Coroner Martin Ryan:

Watch Phil Haney give his testimony:

See Trevor Loudon’s tribute to Phil Haney here, recorded by Minnesota patriot Wes Lund.

Watch Glenn Beck speak about Philip Haney:

Watch Philip Haney on John Well’s Caravan to Midnight:

DISCLAIMER: RAIR Foundation USA wholeheartedly supports police officers and highly respects the work they do every day. This article is not meant to smear police, but rather present a forum to ask legitimate questions. If the Amador County Sheriff’s office responds to RAIR’s questions, this article will be updated.