(Washington, DC) – Today, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) praised the Military Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2013 (“MWPEA”), legislation introduced by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). The legislation was proposed earlier today in response to the ongoing problem of continued sexual assaults within the military.

GAP Legal Director Tom Devine commented: “Sexual assaults in the military continue for the same reasons as other human rights violations – secrecy coupled with weak or nonexistent rights to challenge abuses of power. For 25 years, the Military Whistleblower Protection Act has been so weak that GAP has advised soldiers not to file complaints under it. This legislation would replace token rights with those equivalent to the civil service Whistleblower Protection Act.”

GAP led the campaign for the original Military Whistleblower Protection Act of 1988, as well as additional rights for disclosures within the chain of command and due process to challenge forced psychiatric examinations. But political compromises gutted the legislation to the point where it has created more reprisal victims than it helped. The Warner-Kaine bill is properly customized for the military services, but upgrades core provisions for legitimate rights through:

expanding protection to include disclosures of sexual harassment, testimony in law enforcement or legal proceedings, and exercise of appeal rights.
expanding protection against the full scope of harassment, including a hostile working environment.
eliminating the same loopholes for whistleblower protection that Congress closed last year in the civil service Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act.
normalizing a one year statute of limitations to assert rights.
mandating administrative due process proceedings, adding to Inspector General investigations that previously were the only enforcement option.
implementing the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act burdens of proof.

Contact: Tom Devine, GAP Legal Director
Phone: 202.457.0034, ext. 124
Email: [email protected]

Government Accountability Project
The Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.

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