“The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs heard testimony from whistleblowers and advocates Thursday in a “first step” toward increased implementation of the law and protection for those who call out corruption and abuse in government, said Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis.”
“Tom Devine, GAP’s Legal Director, said “the whistleblower protection law was a great first step but there was more work to be done…”
Whistleblowers describe woes of reporting crimes, waste in federal agencies
McClatchy News
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“In my experience, congressional disclosures spark the ugliest retaliation,” Tom Devine, the legal director of the Government Accountability Project (GAP) testified.
Devine suggested this is because Congress can be a “magnet for public attention” that “can act both to change the balance of resources and the rules of the game.” A “direct linear relationship” exists between “the threat posed by a whistleblower and the severity of retaliation.”
Whistleblowers Testify on High Risk of Retaliation They Face for Going to Congress
Fire Dog Lake
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This piece, by Joe Davidson at the Washington Post, offers a great inside look at the stories of whistleblowers who disclose information in the public’s interest, and are ultimately punished for doing the right thing.
Whistleblowers tell Senate hearing about retaliation for reporting wrongs
The Washington Post