OIG report: FBI disciplinary system is applied unevenly.

GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL: “Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Disciplinary System” (Justice Department’s Inspector General). Among other findings, reports that the disciplinary system is applied unevenly, with higher-ranking FBI employees less likely to have allegations against them substantiated and more likely on appeal to have penalties mitigated.
One example, p.59:

The FBI OPR Assistant Director considered information beyond the
facts determined by the investigation.

We found that the FBI OPR Assistant Director sometimes
informally solicited or received information, outside the normal
disciplinary process, from the supervisors or co-workers of the subject of
the misconduct investigation before making her disciplinary decision.

We asked the FBI OPR Assistant Director what type of information
she considered when determining appropriate disciplinary action and
whether she could contact an employee’s supervisor or co-workers
during the adjudicative process. She stated that no FBI policy prohibited
her from accepting letters or telephone calls from an FBI employee who
wished to contact her. In addition, she provided one example in a
pending case in which she solicited unwritten information regarding
what discipline should be imposed.