DC Labor Filmfest to Highlight Whistleblower Rights

(Washington, D.C.) – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) is proud to announce its co-sponsorship of the first Whistleblower Film Series – part of the 9th annual DC Labor FilmFest. The series is free and open to the public, and will be held on Thursday evenings, October 1 through 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Capitol Visitor’s Center entrance on the East Front of the US Capitol Building.

As Congress considers legislation to rebuild viable whistleblower rights for government employees, the Whistleblower Film Series will highlight films that explore this imperative issue.

GAP is sponsoring the first film this Thursday. The Pentagon Wars is a dark comedy about the development of the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle. In an effort to rein in excessive spending by the Pentagon, Congress appoints an outsider, US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Burton (Cary Elwes) to observe the testing of several new weapons in development, including the Bradley. Burton quickly becomes disillusioned by the “real” way the development process works: in an atmosphere of corruption and/or bureaucratic inefficiency.

Former Air Force Colonel James Burton will be in attendance of the film, and address the crowd about his experiences.

The series is sponsored by the DC Labor FilmFest and supporters of whistleblower protection legislation, including GAP, Project On Government Oversight, Public Citizen, National Whistleblowers Center, Union of Concerned Scientists, Bernabei & Wachtel, Fund for Constitutional Government, Clifford & Garde LLP, Katz, Marshall & Banks and The Ridenhour Prizes.

The schedule for the film series is as follows:

Thursday, October 1: The Pentagon Wars
Thursday, October 8: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Thursday, October 15: Silkwood
Thursday, October 22: The Insider
Thursday, October 29: The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

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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