Whistleblower Panel at Baruch College Launches Fourth Year of Tour, Focuses on Financial Whistleblowing
On October 21, GAP will be launching the fourth year of its American Whistleblower Tour with a panel discussion at Baruch College of the City University in New York. The event will feature prominent whistleblowers Jon Oberg (student loans) and Sherron Watkins (Enron scandal), along with expert whistleblower advocates. The discussion will focus on financial whistleblowing, and is free and open to the public with pre-registration. It will be the first of several Tour stops held this academic year.
Special Counsel Orders Investigation of Alleged Foster Care Fraud and Coverup
Last week, GAP announced that the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has ordered an investigation into allegations that the Department of Justice’s juvenile justice program improperly continued federal funding to Wisconsin despite the state’s alleged violations of legal requirements and falsified records to hide the noncompliance. The charges came in a whistleblowing disclosure by a former DOJ criminal investigator who suffered retaliation for her efforts to challenge Wisconsin’s misconduct.
Consumer and Worker Rights Groups File Amicus in Opposition of New Poultry Inspection System
GAP joined several consumer and worker rights groups in filing a joint amicus curiae brief in support of the lawsuit challenging USDA’s New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS). The brief argues that the NPIS violates the Poultry Products Inspection Act by allowing poultry processing facilities to perform key tasks which the Act plainly mandates are to be performed by government inspectors. The brief relies heavily on whistleblower statements, which stem from a GAP investigation into USDA inspectors’ concerns.
Poultry Industry: Join Europe in Saying NO to Chemicals
GAP’s Food Integrity Campaign (FIC) reports on the disparity between chemical practices in the U.S. and abroad. Europe banned chlorine treatment on chicken in the 1990s, but the practice is allowed in the states – causing problems in international trade negotiations. Several whistleblowers have brought concerns to FIC and have been speaking out against the practice, including to European media. Check out FIC’s blog to see whistleblower interviews on German television.
Former Military and Intelligence Officials Condemn U.S. Torture Regime
Over a dozen former military and intelligence officials sent a letter condemning the U.S. torture regime – calling it illegal, ineffective and counterproductive. As the Senate Intelligence Committee gears up to release portions of its CIA torture report, GAP commends the efforts of these former officials who have helped keep the public out of the dark about the U.S. torture program.
BillMoyers.com: The Top Five Bank Bailouts We Never Heard About
This op-ed details the lack of accountability on Wall Street six years after the financial crisis. The author highlights behind-the-scenes bailouts, including five settlements that were structured in such a way that banks could write millions or even billions of dollars in penalties off of their tax bill.
In related news, Moyers & Company reports that while bank executives were left off the hook, the smaller companies “seduced” by the big banks were vulnerable to prosecution. In one case, a federal jury acquitted four mortgage holders that were unfairly charged with fraud. Issues raised in the case reinforce what financial whistleblowers have revealed to GAP since the 2008 crisis.