Temat: WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS Oct. 02, 2014

WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS Oct. 02, 2014

Fox News (Op-Ed): UN Whistleblowers (Still) Exposed to Retaliation
Summary: GAP Executive Director Bea Edwards authored this opinion piece for Fox News about the failure of the United Nations to secure adequate whistleblower protection for the institution’s truth-tellers. She details the U.N.’s record, which has continued downhill, stating that whistleblower safeguards “are now officially inoperative.”

Federal News Radio: Interview with GAP's Tom Devine
Summary: GAP Legal Director Tom Devine appeared in this radio interview to discuss the case settlement for GAP client and Marine Corps whistleblower Franz Gayl. Devine explained the retaliation Gayl faced after raising concerns about delays in sending lifesaving vehicles to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Guardian: One Whistleblower Gets $30M in the Bank, But Others Count the Personal Cost
Summary: This article explores the disparity between a recent $30 million award given to an anonymous overseas whistleblower and the experience of many other truth-tellers who often face “the norm” of “pariah treatment.”

FireDogLake: Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Filed by FDA Whistleblowers against Officials for Retaliating & Spying on Them
Summary: This article explores the limitations of whistleblower protection, quoting GAP Legal Director Tom Devine.

Wall Street Journal: Whistleblowers Under Threat in Supreme Court Case, Lawmakers Warn
Summary: A bipartisan group of lawmakers are supporting the whistleblower case of GAP client Robert MacLean, the former federal air marshal whose case heads to the Supreme Court in November. He was fired after revealing that air marshals were going to be removed from long distance commercial flights to save money at the same time terrorists were threatening to target U.S. aircraft. It will be the first Whistleblower Protection Act case in front of the Supreme Court.

Washington Post: VA Whistleblowers Win Settlements in Retaliation Cases
Summary: Three Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) whistleblowers won settlements this week in their retaliation cases after exposing wrongdoing at a Phoenix VA hospital. At least two of the agreements involve promotions, “signaling that the agency wants to reward employees who report bad practices.”

Washington Free Beacon: Transparency Groups Press White House on FOIA Delays
Summary: GAP and other government watchdog groups sent a letter to the White House asking the Obama administration to review its often delayed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

Huffington Post: Holder Wishing for Wall Street Whistleblowers? But DOJ Consistently Ignores Them
Summary: GAP Executive Director Bea Edwards responds to Attorney General Eric Holder’s presentation last week regarding his plea that the DOJ needs help from whistleblowers to hold Wall Street wrongdoers accountable.
Key Quote: DOJ doesn't have to hand over huge bonuses in order to encourage whistleblowers on Wall Street to come forward, now that, as Holder admits, the Department is no longer actively policing the financial world. It ought to protect them from retaliation, though.

Associated Press: Kauai County Council Approves Legal Appeal Funding
Summary: The Kauai County Council has approved additional funding to appeal a court ruling that blocks implementation of the county’s new pesticide transparency legislation.

See: http://www.whistleblower.org/