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 Deputy Criticizes Office of Special Counsel Scott Bloch in Resignation Letter, July 17, 2008. POGO's letter to White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten urging the removal of Scott Bloch as U.S. Special Counsel, July 17, 2008. Creation of Detroit office is focus of OSC inquiry, Federal Times, By Gregg Carlstrom, May 19, 2008.It's a matter of debate whether the Office of Special Counsel's Detroit field office, created in 2005, was an act of retaliation against whistleblowers - but current and former OSC employees say it has definitely been a drain on the agency's resources. Memo Shows Frustration With Special Counsel, Washington Post, by Christopher Lee, May 11, 2008."This document is just the most amazing thing I've ever seen," said Beverley Lumpkin, an investigator for POGO. "He creates a special task force to deal with these high-profile and complicated investigations, and then he doesn't listen to their advice." GOP's Davis Urges Bloch to Quit Special Counsel's Office, Washington Post, By Christopher Lee and Carrie Johnson, May 8, 2008."In light of the various investigations into Mr. Bloch's conduct, including the FBI probe revealed yesterday, it's hard to believe he can continue to operate effectively," Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said in a statement. "It's time the OSC put this turbulent period behind it." ... Special counsel butted heads with staff over inquiries, Associated Press, By Lara Jakes Jordan, May 7, 2008.U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch repeatedly butted heads with a task force he set up to decide whether to investigate high-profile accusations of political meddling by the Bush administration, draft documents released Wednesday show. Danielle Brian, POGO's executive director, called the document "deeply troubling new evidence of Bloch's misuse of his office." POGO Alert - POGO Reveals Internal OSC Document Shows Bloch Misused Own Task Force, May 7, 2008. FBI agents search special counsel's home and office, Reuters, By James Vicini and Andy Sullivan, May 6, 2008.Agents were looking for evidence that Special Counsel Scott Bloch had obstructed the investigation and retaliated against career employees, federal law enforcement officials said.  Letter from attorney for POGO, anonymous OSC employees, and other groups urging President Bush to remove Scott Bloch over his obstruction of justice, false statements and more, April 29, 2008. Late addition of funds boosts Special Counsel probe of White House briefings, Congress Daily, by Dan Friedman, January 7, 2008.The Office of Special Counsel will get some financial help for its investigation into charges of illegal politicking by White House officials after Congress added $1.1 million for the probe in the omnibus spending bill signed in December by President Bush. POGO Alert - Whistleblower groups call on President Bush to fire Special Counsel Scott Bloch in wake of revelations he destroyed evidence and obstructed investigation of his misconduct, November 28, 2007. POGO Alert - Groups Urge Congress to Deny Funds to Discredited Special Counsel Obstruction Delaying Completion of Investigation, October 11, 2007. Letter from Attorney representing POGO, anonymous employees and other groups about Scott Bloch’s obstruction of OPM IG investigation, October 9, 2007. Testimony of POGO's Beth Daley before the Subcommittee of Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia on "Ensuring a Merit-Based Employment System: An Examination of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of Special Counsel," July 12, 2007. POGO Alert - New Probe of White House Already Foundering; Jurisdiction and Subpoena Limits Hamstring Questionable Special Counsel Gambit, April 26, 2007. Office of Special Counsel's War On Whistleblowers, Mother Jones, By Daniel Schulman, April 24, 2007 (May/June print issue).... Congress passed a wave of anti-retaliation measures, including the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, which established the Office of Special Counsel, and the 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act. But today, many of these safeguards are gone or at serious risk. In 2005, the Washington-based Project on Government Oversight reported that the Whistleblower Protection Act has "suffered from a series of crippling judicial rulings [that] have rendered the Act useless, producing a dismal record of failure for whistleblowers and making the law a black hole." POGO Alert - Who Will Blink First? White House and OSC Investigate Each Other: Bloch Must Recuse Himself, April 24, 2007. Special Counsel Accused Of Intimidation in Probe, Washington Post, February 16, 2007, by Elizabeth Williamson.A trouble-plagued whistle-blower investigation at the Office of Special Counsel -- whose duties include shielding federal whistle-blowers -- hit another snag this week when employees accused the special counsel of intimidation in the probe. … This week, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Project on Government Oversight, the Government Accountability Project and Human Rights Campaign and a lawyer for the OSC employees protested in a letter to legislators and to Clay Johnson III, the Office of Management and Budget deputy who ordered the OSC probe. Report shows little progress reducing case backlog at OSC, GOVEXEC.COM, November 9, 2006, by Jenny Mandel.A federal agency that handles complaints of improper personnel actions made little headway in reducing its case backlog, despite an intensive year-long attempt to do so, according to a report released Tuesday. … A group of anonymous OSC employees, as well as PEER, GAP and the Project on Government Oversight, have filed a complaint against Bloch alleging numerous prohibited personnel practices including discrimination, retaliation and political bias. U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch Issues Inappropriate Fashion Advice. To learn more read POGO’s Blog entry or The Washington Post, September 7, 2006. On Government Back Lot, Act 2 Of a Merit System Drama Opens, Washington Post, October 27, 2005.The U.S. Office of Special Counsel traditionally has been a low-profile corner of the bureaucracy where whistle-blowers and other federal employees can seek protection against unfair treatment. Announcement that Office of Personnel Management Inspector General will investigate Office of Special Counsel, October 20, 2005. OPM investigator launches probe of Office of Special Counsel chief, Govexec.com, October 19, 2005.The Office of Personnel Management's inspector general has begun an investigation into charges that the head of the small, independent agency responsible for protecting federal employees against prohibited personnel practices, including retaliation, improperly retaliated against his own employees. read this article » Letter from Attorney representing OSC employees, POGO and others expressing concerns about how investigation will be handled, October 18, 2005. Letter from Office of Personnel Management indicating that an investigation has been opened in response to complaint filed by POGO, OSC employees and others, October 17, 2005. Attorney for OSC Staff, POGO and Others Urges Investigation be Opened, October 12, 2005. Representatives John Conyers and Barney Frank request a Government Accountability Office investigation into the Office of Special Counsel, July 28, 2005. Log Cabin Republicans Call on President Bush to fire OSC head Scott Bloch, June, 2005. Follow the link to write a letter to President Bush. Letter from POGO to Senate Disputing Office of Special Counsel Testimony, May 31, 2005. In May, the Senate held oversight hearings on the Office of Special Counsel which featured many of the concerns raised by POGO and others. The hearing, “Safeguarding the Merit System: A Review of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel,” was held by Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, May 24, 2005. Special Counsel Answers Critics: Ahead of Hearing Today, Bloch Claims Progress in Case Backlog,
In a new report, Scott J. Bloch touts his efforts to reduce a chronic backlog at the Office of Special Counsel and attempts to refute criticism that the agency he leads does too little to help civil servants who disclose waste, fraud and abuse. POGO Alert - FBI to Investigate Whistleblower Protection Agency: New Complaint Charges Partisanship in Enforcement of Hatch Act, March 31, 2005. Amended Complaint filed by POGO and others alleging the Special Counsel violated personnel rules, March 31, 2005. Agency's Reorganization Results in Accusations, Employees Leaving, Washington Post, March 18, 2005.A contentious reorganization has snarled operations at the Office of Special Counsel, the independent agency created by Congress to protect workplace rights of federal employees. Federal Whistleblower Office Faces Criticism, National Public Radio, March 10, 2005.The Office of Special Counsel, which offers federal whistleblowers protection from retaliation, is now the target of a complaint. Letter from Representative Christopher Shays to U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch concerning the complaint filed by anonymous OSC employees, POGO, PEER and GAP.
Letter from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins and Ranking Member Joseph Lieberman; and Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia Chairman George Voinovich and Ranking Member Daniel Akaka to U.S. Special Counsel Bloch.
POGO Alert - Whistleblower Staff Blow the Whistle on Special Counsel, March 3, 2005.
FBI agents on Tuesday raided the office and home of the U.S. official responsible for protecting whistleblowers, as they investigated whether he has mistreated employees and obstructed justice. Home I Archives I Expose I Search I Donations I Investigations I About Us I Contact Us I Press Room
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Documents Concerning the Office of Special Counsel