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Whistleblower Protections

POGO Files 

Related Resources (government documents and letters)

POGO in the News


POGO Files

Pentagon Watchdogs Rarely Side With Military Whistleblowers
December 14, 2011

There are many anecdotes suggesting that military whistleblowers have a particularly tough time seeking justice for alleged retaliation—for instance, take the story of former Air National Guard technician Gene McCarty, whose case is described in Part One of this series. But what about the bigger picture? As it turns out, the picture is grim.


The Whistleblower Who Fell Through the Cracks
December 7, 2011

On a hot, parched day in June 2004, a convoy of Humvees was making its way across Iraq’s Sunni Triangle when a roadside bomb exploded, mangling the head vehicle and knocking lead gunman Mike Helms unconscious. The force of the impact blew 2,000 rounds of ammunition from the Humvee. The other soldiers, seeing Helms’ limp frame, thought he was dead.

Helms, an intelligence specialist deployed to the Army’s 902nd Military Intelligence (MI) Group, was alive—but he was wrongfully denied military medical care because technically, he was a civilian. When he tried to speak out about the U.S. military’s poor treatment of deployed civilians in Iraq, he plunged into a whistleblower’s worst nightmare: as he was losing his health, reprisal against him caused him to lose his livelihood.


POGO and Allies Support H.R. 3289, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act
November 2, 2011

Our undersigned organizations applaud your leadership in earning bipartisan support for the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2011 (WPEA), H.R 3289, as well as immediate action to consider the legislation this Thursday in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  Chairman Issa, we appreciate your introduction of this whistleblower reform legislation with Ranking Member Cummings and longtime whistleblower champions Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joining as original cosponsors. 


S. 372 Fact Sheet
December 16, 2010

Podcast: POGO Discusses the Latest WikiLeaks Disclosures
December 6, 2010

POGO staffers sit down to discuss something that relates to so many aspects of our work—the latest WikiLeaks disclosures.


DC Council Ahead of the Curve on Whistleblower Protections
March 10, 2010

Washington, DC, could soon have some of the strongest whistleblower protections laws in the U.S. After being introduced last year, the District's Whistleblower Protection Amendment Act of 2009 has been passed unanimously by the DC Council, signed by the Mayor, and is projected to become law this week — the only remaining hurdle is the mandated review by Congress.


Brad Birkenfeld Resource Page
August 25, 2009

The Emerging Era in Whistleblower Rights and the Public's Right to Know -Panel 2: The Special Case of National Security
June 26, 2008

Conference sponsored by Washington College of Law at American University.

Moderator: Conrad Martin, Executive Director, Fund for Constitutional Government Panelists: Ann Beeson, Director of U.S. Policy, Open Society Institute; Danielle Brian, Executive Director, Project on Government Oversight; Louis Fisher, Specialist in Constitutional Law, Library of Congress; Mike German, Policy Counsel for National Security, American Civil Liberties Union; Stephen Kohn, Executive Director, National Whistleblower Center. Podcast Duration 01:32:08.

Follow the link to listen to the podcast.


Coast Guard Blogger Fired
March 19, 2008

Another Kind of Prison Torture
December 8, 2005

Homeland and National Security Whistleblower Protections: The Unfinished Agenda
April 28, 2005

The 9/11 attacks spawned a movement of national security whistleblowers who came forward to expose the weaknesses in America’s defenses. Despite their patriotic motivations, many government security professionals have been systematically ignored and targeted by bureaucrats who would rather cover up their failure to properly secure America’s aviation system, ports, intelligence community, borders and nuclear facilities. In this comprehensive report, POGO details weaknesses in the whistleblower protection system and offers numerous ways to strengthen those protections and our national security. 


Whistleblower Staff Blow the Whistle on Special Counsel
March 3, 2005

OSC Staff Want Independent Investigation of Illegal Personnel Practices


Letter to Department of Interior Employees
May 19, 2003

The increasingly stringent restrictions on what information government employees can share with the American public has severely compromised citizens' ability to participate in their own government. The Project On Government Oversight, Campaign for America's Lands, Government Accountability Project, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility joined together to circulate a letter to the employees of the Department of the Interior to provide them with outlets through which they can expose wrong-doing.  


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Related Resources


National Security Whistleblowers Push for Passage of Whistleblower Protection Act
, A Group of Former Whistleblowers
November 22, 2010 


Whistleblower Protection: Sustained Management Attention Needed to Address Long-Standing Program Weaknesses
Government Accountability Office, (GAO) Report GAO-10-722
August 17, 2010 


Good Government Coalition and Consumer Groups Support Whistleblower Rights / Product Safety Reform
Good Government Coalition and Consumer Groups,
October 29, 2007 


Minerals Management Service: False Claims Act Allegations
Earl E. Devaney, Inspector General, United States Department of the Interior
September 17, 2007 


National Security Whistleblowers
by Louis Fisher, Congressional Research Service
December 30, 2005 


DOE denial of Ron Timm's Appeal for Whistleblower Protections
George Breznay, Department of Energy
March 15, 2002 


Senate Bill S.995
,
June 7, 2001 


Whistleblower Protections for Federal Employees
By L. Paige Whitaker and Michael Schmerling, Congressional Research Service (CRS)
May 18, 1998 


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POGO in the News


Whistleblower bill draws lobbying, Andrew Joseph with The National JournalGovernment Executive (govexec.com), January 10, 2012 


Whistleblower protection bill clears House oversight panel, Charles S. ClarkGovernment Executive (govexec.com), November 3, 2011 


Crowd sourcing can supplement whistleblowing, experts say, Joseph MarksNextgov.com, July 29, 2011 


William Welch: Obama Administration’s Point Man to Stop Leaks, Shane HarrisWashingtonian, July 20, 2011 


Classified Pentagon report upholds Thomas Drake’s complaints about NSA, R. Jeffrey SmithThe Washington Post, June 22, 2011 


The Secret Sharer Is Thomas Drake an enemy of the state?, By Jane MayerThe New Yorker, May 23, 2011 


WikiLeaks furor causes defeat of rights bill with Las Vegas ties, By Alan MaimonThe Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 31, 2011 


GOP Objections Threaten Whistle-Blower Rights Bill, Associated PressNational Public Radio (NPR), December 21, 2010 


Groups face off over proposed whistle-blower rules, By Dan JamiesonInvestment News, December 21, 2010 


Obama To Nominate A Defender For Whistle-Blowers, By Ari ShapiroNational Public Radio (NPR), December 15, 2010 


POGO: DoD Whistleblower System Far From Perfect, By Siddhartha MahantaMother Jones, December 7, 2010 


Whistleblower Protection Legislation Will Help Some, but Not All, By Yana KunichoffTruthout.org, March 25, 2010 


Whistle-blowers' rights get second look, By Peter EislerUSA Today, March 15, 2010 


Long Island Congressional Candidate Cited for Giving Up JP Morgan Whistleblower, By Michael Smallberg & Adam ZagorinPolitics Daily, January 28, 2010 


Thinking about telling on your boss? Whistle blowers face many retaliatory perils, By Kimberly DvorakDiego County Political Buzz Examiner, January 19, 2010 


Whistleblower Web Site Goes Dark, Seeks Funding, By Joshua Rhett MillerFoxNews.com, January 6, 2010 


'Don't wait until the bombs have fallen', By Jen DiMascio Politico Click, October 29, 2009 


Whistle-Blower Protections for All Federal Workers, By Danielle BrianSpecial to Roll Call, September 17, 2009 


UC Whistleblower Protection Bill Sent to Governor, California Political Desk California Chronicle, August 27, 2009 


FBI whistleblower shields likely to stay: White House shifts FBI plan, By Tom LoBianacoThe Washington Times, August 20, 2009 


Whistleblower Bill Advances in the Senate, By Justin Grant and Yuliya TalanovaABC News with Brian Ross , July 30, 2009 


Good News for the Whistleblowers, By Joe DavidsonThe Washington Post, July 30, 2009 


Committee okays expanded whistleblower protections, By Richard Lardner, Associated PressSan Francisco Chronicle, July 29, 2009 


Committee Approves Bill to Protect UC Whistleblowers, The California Chronicle, June 25, 2009 


Obama backs whistle-blowers but not in intell, By Alice LipowiczFederal Computer Week, May 14, 2009 


Responders without a clue, By Charlie PetersWashington Monthly/Tilting at Windmills, May 1, 2009 


Speaking Scientifically Without Fear or Favor, By Shawn ZellerCongressional Quarterly; CQ Today Online News, April 13, 2009 


Obama Finds That Washington’s Habits of Secrecy Die Hard, By Sheryl Gay StolbergNew York Times, April 4, 2009 


Groups criticize whistleblower policies, United Press International, April 1, 2009 


Groups Challenge Obama on whistleblower policy, By Betsy KingThe Hill, April 1, 2009 


Obama Urged To Back New Whistleblower Act, By Ed O’KeefeThe Federal Eye, Washington Post, April 1, 2009 


Groups Urge Obama to Strengthen Whistleblower Rights, By Joe DavidsonThe Washington Post, Federal Diary, April 1, 2009 


Obama gets mixed reviews on government ‘openness’, By Alexandra MarksChristian Science Monitor, March 19, 2009 


Collins Strips Stim Bill Of Whistleblower Protections, By Zachary Roth TPMMuckraker , February 11, 2009 


Federal Whistleblowers NOT Protected in Stimulus Bill, By Daphne EviatorThe Washington Independent, February 11, 2009 


Whistleblowers need more protection, Oped By Danielle BrianKennebec Journal, February 11, 2009 


Congress Learns Lessons From Katrina, Iraq -- But Not All, By Daphne EviatarWashington Independent, February 3, 2009 


Whistleblowers seek protection, By Audrey HudsonWashington Times, February 2, 2009 


House amendment offers more protection for whistleblowers , By Elise Castelli Federal Times, January 30, 2009 


In Stimulus, Can Lawmakers Spend Billions Without Wasting Billions?, By Amanda Ruggeri U.S. News & World Report, January 28, 2009 


Whistleblowers May Have a Friend in the Oval Office, By Joe DavidsonThe Washington Post, December 11, 2008 


Groups Seek Whistle-Blower Protection in Bailout Legislation, By Joe DavidsonThe Washington Post, September 24, 2008 


Reid wants to expand whistle-blowers' rights , By Alan MaimonThe Las Vegas Review-Journal, August 17, 2008 


Anthropologists At War, By Bill StametsIn These Times, June 19, 2008 


Sibel Edmonds vs the Nuclear Terrorists, Pakistan Daily, June 9, 2008 


Watchdog Group Seeks Deal on Whistleblower Protections, By Dan FriedmanGovernment Executive, June 6, 2008 


Pressing for Stronger Protections for Whistle-Blowers, By Stephen BarrThe Washington Post, June 6, 2008 


Pressing for Stronger Protections for Whistle-Blowers, By Stephen BarrWashington Post, June 6, 2008 


Watchdog Group Seeks Deal on Whistleblower Protections, By Dan FriedmanGovernment Executive, June 6, 2008 


Case implicates free speech, Op-Ed by POGO's Nick SchwellenbachSPI Seattle.com, May 7, 2008 


Former D.C. Workers Say Law Doesn't Prevent Retaliation, By Yolanda WoodleeWashington Post, April 28, 2008 


Human Terrain's 'Catch-22,', By Sharon WeinbergerWired Blog, April 17, 2008 


Previous Post on Whistleblower Protection Warrants Clarification, by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI)The Hill's Congress Blog, March 3, 2008 


Whistleblower cited for courage. "COURAGE: Doing the Right Thing,", By Kathleen McGowanPsychology Today - March/April 2008 Issue, February 25, 2008 


Julius Baer's court order springs a leak, By Elana SchorGuardian.co.uk, February 20, 2008 


Late addition of funds boosts Special Counsel probe of White House briefings, By Dan FriedmanCongress Daily, January 7, 2008 


NRC Strengthening Whistle Blower Protections, Power Market Today (by Intelligence Press) , November 15, 2007 


CPSC's Ethics-Review Process For Travel Criticized by Experts, by Elizabeth WilliamsonWashington Post, November 6, 2007 


Sucking the air from the whistle, with Steve HennNPR Marketplace, November 2, 2007 


Those who blow whistle on contractor fraud in Iraq face penalties, by Deborah HastingsAssociated Press, August 23, 2007 


Pentagon whistleblower still paying the price for telling the truth, by Lyndsey LaytonCharleston Daily Mail, (from Washington Post ), July 8, 2007 


Speaking up for the whistle-blowers, By Stephen BarrThe Washington Post, February 14, 2007 


Lawmakers re-introduce whistleblower, ethics measures, By Jenny MandelGovExec.com, February 13, 2007 


Rep. Murphy fires aide who made accusations, By David BrownPittsburgh Tribune-Review, November 10, 2006 


Air marshal's firing prompts whistleblower suit, By Stephen LoseyFederal Times, November 7, 2006 


Air marshal's firing prompts whistleblower suit , By Stephen LoseyFederal Times, November 7, 2006 


A Published Dress Code Is Dressed Down in Furor: Office of Special Counsel Retreats From Sartorial Rules, By Elizabeth WilliamsonThe Washington Post, September 7, 2006 


Charges of Security Flaws Posted on YouTube by Michael De Kort, By Michael De KortYouTube, August 29, 2006 


Accountability Office Finds Itself Accused , By William BroadThe New York Times, April 2, 2006 


Hill mulls new whistleblower protections, By Pamela HessUnited Press International, February 14, 2006 


Groundhog Day, By Molly IvinsCNN, January 31, 2006 


NSA Whistleblowers Were Allegedly Isolated, Intimidated, By Sherrie GossettCNSNews.com, January 26, 2006 


Prison-Worker Transfer Sought After Threats, By Christopher LeeThe Washington Post, December 12, 2005 


In federal job: Blow whistle, get boot; workers say broken system doesn't protect them from retaliation, By Rebecca CarrAustin American Statesman and Cox News Service, December 11, 2005 


Cicero Workers Warned on Probe, By Brett McNeil and David JacksonChicago Tribune, October 11, 2005 


Whistleblowers meet to share stories, plot strategies, By Chris StrohmGovexec.com, October 11, 2005 


Protecting the Rights of Whistleblowers, By Lauren RobinsonSocial Education, October 1, 2005 


Uncharted Terrain , By Rachel SmolkinAmerican Journalism Review, October 1, 2005 


Panel approves bill strengthening whistleblower protections, By Chris StrohmGovexec.com, September 29, 2005 


Four Years After 9/11, Higher Pressure, Rewards, By Stephen BarrThe Washington Post, September 11, 2005 


Don't Fault the Messenger: Bolster Whistleblower Protections, By Danielle Brian and Martin Edwin AndersenThe Washington Times, May 24, 2005 


Retribution Turns A Whistleblower’s Life ‘Upside Down’, By Keith EpsteinTampa Tribune, May 3, 2005 


Whistle-Blowers Urge Congress to Get Tougher on Retaliation, By Stephen BarrThe Washington Post, April 29, 2005 


National Security Whistleblowers Coalition Event, Common Dreams, April 28, 2005 


Whistle-blowers deserve support, not punishment , By Rhonda Chriss Lokeman Kansas City Star, April 12, 2005 


Federal Whistleblower Office Faces Criticism, By Andrea SeabrookAll Things Considered, NPR, March 10, 2005 


Survey: Science, politics at odds; and endangered species are in the middle, By Dan VerganoUSA Today, February 10, 2005 


Group Chides Congress on Whistleblowers, By Pauline JelinekAssociated Press, January 26, 2005 


Security Dept. Eases Its Nondisclosure Rule, By John FilesThe New York Times, January 18, 2005 


Homeland Security Dropping Pledge of Secrecy for Workers, By Christopher LeeThe Washington Post, January 13, 2005 


Watchdog group calls for tougher Los Alamos performance standards, By David McGlincheyGovexec.com, January 12, 2005 


Head of Worker Protection Office Is Accused of Retaliatory Transfers, By Christopher LeeThe Washington Post, January 11, 2005 


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