Temat: WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS 2012 – 1

WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS 2012 – 1

Washington Post: Officer Recommends Court-Martial for Bradley Manning in WikiLeaks Case
January 13, 2012

Summary: The investigating officer (basically a judge) of Bradley Manning’s pre-trial hearing recommended yesterday that Manning should face full court-martial. Manning is accused of giving classified information to WikiLeaks and could face life in prison if convicted on all 22 counts.

A separate military body will make the final decision about whether the case should move forward.

Related Articles: The New York Times, The Guardian (UK), Associated Press (video)
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Florida Independent: 'Ag Gag' Passes Through Committee
January 13, 2012
Summary: A bill recently reintroduced in Florida that would criminalize taking video or photographs on farm operations without the owner's approval passed through the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee this week.

GAP's Food Integrity Campaign challenged similar legislation that stalled or failed to pass in several states during last year's legislative session.

Key Quote: The provision has been denounced by animal rights groups, who say it is a way to prevent information obtained by “whistleblowing employees and undercover investigations” from coming to light. The information, in the past, has included exposés documenting “animal abuse, unsafe working conditions, and environmental problems,” according to one group.
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Bloomberg: Walgreen Accused in Suit of Plotting with Par to Overcharge for Generics
January 12, 2012

Summary: The drugstore chain Walgreen's is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of colluding with Par Pharmaceuticals to boost profits by overcharging for generic forms of drugs. In 2008, Walgreen paid $35 million to settle whistleblower claims that it was overcharging state Medicaid programs for generic forms of the same drugs. The current case is relying on that suit as well as another previous case against the company in 2006.
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Wall Street Journal: Unsealed FBI Documents Reveal Sempra Probe’s Inner Workings
January 12, 2012

Summary: A recently unsealed FBI probe shows a federal investigation of Sempra, a California-based energy company, sparked by a whistleblower’s allegations that the company violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. However, a law firm hired by Sempra − not federal investigators – conducted the investigation and the government decided not to prosecute based on the findings.
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Industry Truth-Telling Moves FDA to Monitor Orange Juice Imports
January 12, 2012

Summary: The FDA is holding orange juice imports for testing after Coca-Cola reported to the agency that it detected levels of fungicide in orange juice it received from Brazil. Government officials said the levels were well below those considered to be a health risk. GAP's Food Integrity Campaign compares the FDA's response to the agency's relative inaction following consumer group reports of arsenic in apple juice.

Denver Post: Report on Listeria Outbreak Blames Jensen Farms and Third-Party Auditors
January 11, 2012

Summary: Lawmakers urged the FDA to reform domestic third-party audits in the food industry after an investigation into the cantaloupe Listeria outbreak – that killed 30 people last year – revealed "inherent conflicts of interest." Jensen Farms, the cantaloupe producer tied to the outbreak, received a passing audit score of 96 days before the contaminated melons were distributed. GAP's Food Integrity Campaign Director, Amanda Hitt, is quoted.

Key Quote: "The take-home of this is they [private auditors] are not a substitute for government inspection. They don't do the same things, they don't produce the same results, and they don't lead to food safety," said Amanda Hitt of the Food Integrity Campaign in Washington, D.C.
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Tampa Bay Times: Scandals Prompt New Policies at Pasco Housing Authority
Today

Summary: In light of last year’s scandals in the Pasco County Housing Authority in Florida, the agency has released a new employee handbook with guidelines on how to seek whistleblower protections if any employee has concerns about the agency.

Last year, the agency faced controversy when a whistleblower suit alleged major mismanagement and accused the now-former executive director of sexual relations with subordinates.
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WJLA (Washington, DC): Bradley Manning Billboard Sparks Controversy
January 11, 2012

Summary: A new billboard in Washington, DC has sparked controversy with its message “Free Bradley Manning.” The billboard is on a route that connects the city to Fort Meade, MD, meaning many military personnel see it. Manning, the soldier accused of giving classified information to WikiLeaks, had his pre-trial hearing last month.
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KXAN (TX): DPS Examining APD Crime Lab Complaint
January 11, 2012

Summary: An Austin Police Department crime lab whistleblower recently filed a compliant, claiming that hundreds of cases since 2005 have been mishandled. The Texas Department of Public Safety is now investigating.
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Navy Times: Whistleblowers Sue VA, Claim Reprisal
January 11, 2012

Summary: Six whistleblower suits have been filed against the Veterans Affairs Department, claiming termination or harassment for speaking out about problems at medical facilities.
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Business Courier (OH): Omnicare Hit with Another Whistleblower Suit
January 11, 2012

Summary: According to a recent Bloomberg report, healthcare company Omnicare faces a lawsuit from a former employee who claims the company overcharged the federal and state governments for medications.

Ammoniated Beef Whistleblower Vindicated by Fast-Food Industry's Move
January 10, 2012

Summary: The recent move by fast food giants McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell to drop a controversial ammoniated beef product – supplied by Beef Products Inc. (BPI) and known as 'pink slime' in the industry – vindicates former BPI employee Kit Foshee, the whistleblower who reported the company's practices.

Foshee, a GAP client since 2007, is a former Corporate Quality Assurance Manager at BPI, the nation's leading producer of "lean boneless beef." He says he was terminated for refusing to participate in his company's alleged knowing misrepresentation of microbial data to the USDA and alleged false claims made to customers about the product's safety.
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Tri-City Herald (WA): Judge Dismisses Whistleblower Lawsuit
Today

Summary: Yesterday, a county court judge dismissed the case brought by Hanford nuclear site whistleblower Walt Tamosaitis against contractor Bechtel National, alleging that they had engaged in an effort to get him fired after he raised safety concerns. The judge dropped the case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refilled. Tamosaitis plans to appeal the ruling.

This ruling has no effect on Tamosaitis’ other lawsuit against another contractor, URS, and the US Department of Energy.
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Cincinnati Enquirer: Whistleblower Suit Alleges Police Chief Misconduct
January 10, 2012

Summary: A Cincinnati police officer has filed a whistleblower suit accusing the Police Chief of excessive force and improper use of police devices, among other misconduct.
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Main Justice: Judge’s Ruling Could Wreck Case Against Ex-CIA Officer, US Asserts
January 10, 2012

Summary: A US district court judge ruled that two witnesses for the federal prosecution in the case against former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, accused of leaking classified documents to a reporter, are to be excluded because the government improperly withheld material that could help the defense.

In a recent blog post, GAP’s Jesselyn Radack explores this most recent misstep by federal prosecutor William Welch II, who made similar mistakes in the trial against NSA whistleblower (and GAP client) Tom Drake.
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Associated Press: Texas Suit Against J&J Over Drug Goes to Trial
January 10, 2012

Summary: A case sparked by a whistleblower between the state of Texas and Johnson & Johnson alleges that the company defrauded the state Medicaid program by overstating the safety of an expensive anti-psychotic drug. This case – one of several cases filed by various states – could cost the company $1 billion.
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Corporate Counsel: Whistleblower in ‘Big Dig’ False Claims Case Claims Firing Was Retaliatory
Today

Summary: A former employee of a construction company blew the whistle on the use of substandard concrete in Boston's 'Big Dig' and the company ended up having to pay $4.7 million to the US government. Now, the whistleblower has filed suit against the company, claiming he was fired for his role in the settlement.

Tri-City Herald (WA): Judge Says He Will Rule Later on Hanford Whistleblower Case
Today

Summary: A county judge has decided to postpone a ruling on the case of Hanford nuclear whistleblower Walt Tamosaitis against Bechtel, the company he alleges wrongfully interfered with his job at the Hanford vitrification plant. Bechtel was asking that the suit be thrown out. Tamosaitis claims that Bechtel tried to get him fired after he raised a number of safety concerns.
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Sacramento Bee: California Bill Would Giver Protection to Legislative Whistleblowers
January 9, 2012

Summary: A new bill introduced in the California assembly would afford legislative whistleblowers the same protections as other state workers. Anyone guilty of retaliation against the whistleblower could face fines up to $10,000 and a year in county jail.
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Register-Herald (WV): Whistleblower Site Set for Launch
Today

Summary: A new website for whistleblowers called HonestAppalachia.org launches today. The site is run by a number of computer scientists, journalists and transparency activists as a way “to empower whistleblowers throughout Appalachia.”

Key Quote: “We believe our country desperately needs watchdogs at the local, state and regional level, and our website has stepped in to help fill the gap,” a statement on the project’s website says. “We are committed to being objective and professional in our presentation of the documents and information we receive from whistleblowers.”
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Associated Press: Closing of 259 USDA Offices Raises Safety Concerns
Today

Summary: The Department of Agriculture announced yesterday it will close 259 offices, labs and other facilities in order to save $150 million from the agency's annual budget. The move raised concerns about the potential impact on food safety. Elisabeth Hagen, undersecretary for food safety, said the closures would not reduce the number of inspectors or inspection work.

Key Quote: Bruce Babcock, a farm economist at Iowa State University and director of the school's Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, said consolidation was a long time coming, given that advances in technology made it possible to file applications and do other tasks over the phone or online. He said he's more concerned about the USDA's ability to maintain programs that deal with disease prevention.

"The capability to collect data and do the behind the scenes activities that really help U.S. agriculture stay safe, that should be concerning," Babcock said.

Source: [r]http://whistleblower.org [/r]
GAP's mission is to promote corporate and government accountability by protecting whistleblowers, advancing occupational free speech, and empowering citizen activists. GAP has been the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization since 1977.