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Former Department of Criminal Investigation Administrator Jim Warren is talking publicly for the first time since he abruptly retired earlier this year.  Warren tells Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Jeff Wagner that his superiors basically forced him out of the job.

In an interview on Jeff Wagner's show Friday afternoon, Warren tells Wagner that morale is low at the Department of Justice under the leadership of JB Van Hollen.  He says a number of people are concerned about their jobs.

Warren says he's also upset about news this week that Van Hollen has demoted another director at DOJ, the longtime State Fire Marshall.  Van Hollen claims Carolyn Kelly made threats in emails that were directed at him and his staff.  Kelly, who was the Fire Marshall for 14 years, apparently sent an email in which she made a reference to hiring a hitman.  But a number of people, including Warren, say the threats were clearly in jest.

"The charges against her are so preposterous it's unbelievable," Warren said.

Van Hollen suspended Kelly in January shortly after Warren abruptly retired.  Warren retired after Van Hollen told him they would be demoting him.  Warren admits he didn't always get along with Van Hollen, "to put it bluntly we didn't get along, on a lot of issues there seemed to be some disagreement or confusion between myself and members of his staff."