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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/MOMMANAY2020 on 2024-03-27 04:56:50.

I’d been reminded of this incident recently when I happened to run into one of my former bosses.

And this is a story of Malicious Compliance.

Many times, I’d mentioned during other conversations with them that I’d previously come from the private sector and was not used to how things were run – even after several years - in local government; and definitely that those ways would never, ever fly in private sector. Especially when it came to money. I had been tasked with being the liaison for returning money and personal property to people that were either the victim’s or the perpetrator’s – laws didn’t allow us to know which category individuals fell under. But if a judge said “give their property back to them,” that’s what I did. With the correct paperwork. Period.

Of course there were procedures, proper paper work had to be filled out and a valid/current state identification or driver’s license, a court order, and an evidence voucher was needed. Everything had to ‘match’ on all of the paper work. Their full name. Address. City and State. And a property receipt from the Police Department. If they came to me with a receipt that said John Q. Doe; then their identification had to say the same. Not Jack Doe, not J. Q. Doe… you get it. It was supposed to be a sure fire way to make sure that the right person claimed the property (and 99.99% of the time it was money/U.S. dollars). And our department was entrusted to follow the rules. Well, the supervisor and the department head; let’s call them TD and TL, were both in rare form this particular day during our routine morning meeting when they both had attitudes about everything. It probably had something to do with the fact that they were being applauded for running a tight ship and getting things done. Yeah, right, all they had to do was sign their names to things: the staff did all of the hard work! And yet, contradicting everything said between one and the other. And walking around with their chests out like they were God’s gifts. And in not so many words both professing “I’m the boss. I want it done this way. Or that way. If I say something, that’s the way I want it. Do it, and don’t question me.” Okay, I thought… and I’ve asked before at other jobs; “Are you sure? Really sure? Because I was taught to do just that – give you exactly what you want. And usually people end up not liking it.” They both were so nasty in their response that I just smiled at my friend/coworker across the table who shook her head and did a face palm. Why? Because she knows me.

Ok. It’s on. I’m going to do it “your way, without question, because you two are the boss.”

At around 11am I get a call from the security desk that a visitor had arrived with a property receipt etc. and wanted to know if I would come and collect them to get the process started. “Sure, I’ll be down in about 10-15 minutes” I told them; as I was in the process of counting money and needed to focus. As on any given day there was around $100,000 in cash on my desk and I didn’t want to put the money back in the safe and start all over. When I finally finished counting the money and went downstairs to collect the visitor, the visitor was clearly agitated. Was I bothered? Kind of. But I was secure enough knowing that there were 400 or so officers with guns in the building. So, I led the visitor up to my office, had them seated, took their information and began the process. Except 1. The voucher looked old, 2. The name on the voucher didn’t match the receipt, 3. The receipt nor the voucher matched the court order, and 4. Their I.D. was expired. ALERT! ALERT! Giant red flags waving in the breeze! Everything Everything that I’d been taught was screaming at me that this was bad and that it was going to end badly. I made the necessary copies for my records of all of the information like always, except this time – two of everything - and actually circled all of the discrepancies in red marker. And then told the visitor that I needed to get the check book from another office, it would take a little while to get the signatures (and MINE) needed and release of funds required two other signatures.

I first went to my immediate supervisor, TL, and explained the situation to her. I showed her every single, solitary piece of paper work. Pointed out all of what I’d circled. That the information didn’t match on any of forms in any way at all. She literally did a quick scan and said “It’s okay. Do it.” I know that I stood there with my mouth opening and closing with no words coming out for a full two minutes, shaking my head, and in shock, before I said “Wait, did you really look at what I’m showing you?? There’s something wrong with all of it. I think it’s forgery and fraud about to be committed!” Her words were: “I said do it,” while pushing all of the paperwork across her desk back to me. “Are you sure? Do you want to look at it again? You do realize that I’m supposed to cut a check for $97,000.00???” I asked. “No, it’s fine, do it. So that you can get back to your other work.” I then told her that I was really uncomfortable completing the transaction and that I wanted to speak to TD about it. And so, I walked across the hall, tapped on TD’s door and asked if we could discuss the transaction. Now, mind you, TD is the department head – one of the signatures needed to finalize the paperwork. The other person to sign would be the accounts payable department head. I spread both sets of copies of the papers across his desk and again explained in detail the situation and what was wrong with all of it. At least he took a few more minutes to pore over the paperwork, unlike TL. And so I thought, Ok! He’s paying attention. He’ll see everything that’s wrong with this. He’ll make a call downstairs and have a couple of officers up here in no time.” Nope. He literally said “It’s all good. Do it.” “TD! It’s not all good! Please, please look at it all again!” I pleaded. Now’s a good time to tell everyone that I worked for lawyers for five years straight out of high school. And one of the best things that I’ve ever learned was what definitely became my life-long motto: Cover-Your-Own-Ass and don’t take the fall for other people. And that mindset has been good to me.

Again, I pleaded with TD to look closely at the paperwork. I pointed out all of the discrepancies again. The wrong name, the paper being the wrong color and looking old, the expired state I.D. Everything. And again he said “I said do it.” Ok, I thought. This is one of the times when you know for certain that this is going to come back and bite you in the ass. But, remember when I said that I worked for lawyers for five years in my earlier career? Well, I remembered them always saying “Signatures are everything.” Now, normally the only time I would need signatures are when the checks are actually cut. But this time, I was definitely going to take it oh-so-much-further. Back out to the copier I went, for one more copy of all of the paperwork. First stop was the supervisor, TL… “TL, I need your signature to finish this transaction. Sign and date here, here, here, here, here, and here.” Yes, everywhere I’d made a notation in red marker. “Thank you,” and off I went back to TD to get his signature. “Sorry to bother you TD, but I need your signature and date here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.” All the while thinking “You two won’t be having me accused and arrested for conspiring with a total stranger!!!” With that done, I asked TD one more time “Are you sure that you want me to complete this transaction, after everything that I’ve pointed out, cut a check and send the visitor on his way?” TD never looked up from what he was reading and said “Yes.”

So, that’s what I did. Completed the steps necessary to cut the $90,000 check and send the visitor on his merry way.

Three weeks later all hell broke loose!

“O.P! My office now!!!”

My head has never whipped back and forth so fast in my entire life as they both talked at the same time. TD beet red and TL wringing her hands in frustration. “Shut the door!” TL said. And then I could barely understand what was being said, but eventually figured out that it was about the transaction and check that I’d written prior. Yup. We (and I say we very, very loosely) handed over close to 100K to the wrong person! They handed me a record of everything that was currently happening because of that transaction. The commissioner’s memo. The judge’s orders. The investigation procedures. The assigned case number and detectives. The names of the bank representatives. I was told that there was an ongoing investigation and I’d be contacted by the bank and detectives shortly. And lastly that I might be fired. “What do you have to say for yourself?” TD asked forcefully, while slapping the top of his desk, to which I replied “I did what I was supposed to do. I did what I was told to do. Don’t you remember signing off on it all?” I said matter of factly. They both spluttered something to the effect of “I would never….I have an MBA and…. I’ve been doing this for 30 years….No, this is your mistake…This is not going to end well for you…….etc.” I almost burst out laughing because it very much sounded like the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoons. You know “Wah, wanh, wanh –wanh.” But I was in no way worried. I calmly got up out of the chair that I’d been perched on the edge of, excused myself, walked to my of…

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