A Department of Homeland Security whistleblower who was a vocal critic of the Obama administration’s strategy approach to tackling Islamic terrorism has been found dead.

The body of Philip Haney was discovered 40 miles east of Sacramento, California, local authorities said.

The 66-year-old “appeared to have suffered a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Amador County Sheriff’s Office said.

A release from the sheriff and coroner Martin A Ryan said: “On February 21, 2020 at approximately 1012 hours, deputies and detectives responded to the area of Highway 124 and Highway 16 in Plymouth to the report of a male subject on the ground with a gunshot wound.

“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.

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“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.”

The Washington Examiner reports that he was recently in contact with DHS officials about a possible return to the agency.

He testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2016, where he alleged that the Obama-era DHS had ordered him to delete hundreds of files about reputed associates of Islamic terrorist groups.

He claimed that several attacks in the US could have been prevented if some of the files had not been deleted. He retired in 2015.