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DC Council Ahead of the Curve on Whistleblower Protections
March 10, 2010
Washington, DC, could soon have some of the strongest whistleblower protection 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.
POGO was also excited to learn about the origins of one particular provision in the Act — according to members of the DC Council, POGO's congressional oversight handbook inspired a provision that could allow lawmakers to withhold the salary of any DC employee that retaliates against a whistleblower.
Hopefully the renewal of whistleblower protection laws in DC will encourage local governments across the nation to modernize their own whistleblower protection laws, in addition to deterring misconduct towards whistleblowers here in the District.
POGO's recently published book, The Art of Congressional Oversight: A User's Guide to Doing It Right, can be ordered in POGO online store.
Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption and other misconduct in order to achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government.
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