This editorial piece examines the Obama administration's persistent attacks on the media, their sources, and those who uncover classified information - even when the information does not threaten national security.
The cases of Thomas Drake and James Risen highlight the government's unnecessary retaliation against whistleblowers who raise important questions about public policy. Drake, the former NSA official who was indicted on charges of retaining classified information in conjunction with a series of new articles, faces 35 years in jail for exposing information that embarrassed the government, but did not compromise national security.
If you would like to support Thomas Drake, please sign the petition on his behalf.
Click here to read more on GAP's blog.
Campaign for Liberty: We Need Whistleblowers
This article calls for serious and meaningful legal reform in order to close the "national security loophole" which exempts members of intelligence agencies such as the FBI, CIA, and NSA from whistleblower protections. These agencies are most trusted with national security and secrecy, yet have the least amount of protection for reporting wrongdoing and abuse.
The author of the article, ACLU Policy Counsel Mike German, spoke about issues of injustice at the FBI on Episode 5 of GAP's television program, Whistle Where You Work.
You can help by encouraging your members of Congress to take up this issue and pass stronger whistleblower protections for those in the intelligence community.
New York Daily News: Whistleblower Says Exterminators May Lie About Bedbug Infestations to Make More Dough
The owner of First Rate Solutions, Inc. - an exterminating business - is blowing the whistle on other, unethical members of his field who give clients false information about bedbug problems in order to make more money in treatments.
The Hill: Issa Joins Senators in Questioning FOIA Exemptions for SEC
Rep. Issa joined a group of senators and good government groups (including GAP) in expressing opposition to the new law that provides Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions for the SEC. Issa claims that the SEC has already used the new provision "to avoid disclosure of much broader categories of information." Mentions GAP.
Lindsay Bigda is Communications Fellow for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower advocacy organization.
