GAP Blog: Dissecting James Cole's Answers to Sen. Grassley's Questions
This blog post by GAP International Reform Director Bea Edwards discusses how the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote today on James Cole's nomination for Deputy Attorney General. Doubts over Cole's role as an "independent" monitor at AIG -- before, during and after the company's financial collapse in September 2008 -- prompted Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) to pose pointed questions to Cole about his experiences there. Edwards sheds light on Cole's dodgy answers.
Edwards posed Cole video questions prior to his confirmation hearing last month.
National Law Journal: Financial Reform Includes New Whistleblower Program
The financial reform package to be signed this week by President Obama contains several strong whistleblower protection components, as detailed by GAP's press release last week. This article looks at the "bounty reward" program for those whistleblowers who expose financial wrongdoing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Similar Article: Wall Street Journal
Washington Post: National Security Inc.
This is the second piece from the Washington Post's investigative series "Top Secret America," which has shed necessary light upon the vastness of the country's national security programs, and how they have grown out of control.
This article specifically looks at the eye-popping total number of national security contractors, the scope of the work that they handle, and the current federal government's dependency on them.
GAP Homeland Security & Human Rights Director Jesselyn Radack blogs about the article here.
Washington Post: Departing U.N. official calls Ban's leadership 'deplorable' in 50-page memo
As reported last week in the Whistleblower News, the head of the internal agency charged with rooting out corruption at the United Nations, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, is stepping down from her post.
This article details that official's "stinging rebuke" of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, "accusing him of undermining her efforts and leading the global institution into an era of decline."
Key Quote: The memo…represents an extraordinary personal attack on Ban from a senior U.N. official. The memo also marks a challenge to Ban's studiously cultivated image as a champion of accountability.
San Francisco Chronicle: Law Gives Fired Whistleblowers Right to Sue UC
Under a new law, employees of the University of California system who believe they were fired for blowing the whistle can now sue for damages.
Dylan Blaylock is Communications Director for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower advocacy organization.
