Barre Montpelier Times Argus: Whistleblowers Now Can Hide Names
Yesterday, the Governor of Vermont signed legislation that protects the anonymity of whistleblowers that expose wrongdoing by state officials. State Auditor Doug Hoffer pushed for these reforms after discovering that his office was legally required to reveal whistleblowers’ identities through public record requests. The new law will help stem retaliation against truth-telling employees.
Key Quote: The public bill signing took place at the office of first-term state Auditor Doug Hoffer, who asked lawmakers to protect the confidentiality of people who come to his office with concerns about potential mismanagement or wrongdoing in their agencies or by government contractors. Hoffer said a records request made to his office soon after he was sworn in required him to reveal the name of someone who reported an issue, according to a legal opinion provided by the attorney general’s office.
Related Articles: VT Digger, My Champlain Valley, Associated Press
Voice of Russia: NSA ‘Metadata Kill’ Revelation Exposes US Executioner Stance
GAP Executive Director Beatrice Edwards gave a radio interview in response to former National Security Agency (NSA) head Michael Hayden’s admission that the U.S. “kill[s] people based on metadata.” Edwards discusses the shocking revelation, the recent history of NSA whistleblowers, and how Edward Snowden didn’t qualify for real internal whistleblower protections.
In related news, journalist Glenn Greenwald told Stephen Colbert that the next NSA story based on Snowden’s disclosures, approximately four to six weeks away from being published, “will make the biggest impact.” Greenwald also appeared on Democracy Now! twice this week (here and here) to promote his new book about the Snowden disclosures.
Oregonian: Ombudsman Investigates City Contracting, Plans Whistleblower Reform
The city ombudsman of Portland, Oregon has released an annual report highlighting the activities she investigated last year. Later this year, she “plans to propose a new system for reporting whistleblower violations and protecting employees from retaliation.”
Dylan Blaylock is Communications Director for the Government Accountability Project, the nation’s leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.