James Wasserstrom, a United Nations whistleblower retaliated against for reporting corruption within the multilateral organization’s mission in Kosovo – and who subsequently underwent an intense legal battle – made his case yesterday in New York City at a press conference. Before members of the media, he emphasized the negative message that his case’s meager settlement sends to future UN whistleblowers.
Americans love the idea of the whistleblower: one brave person willing to stick their neck out for the greater good, even in the face of severe blowback. Many American high school students read On Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau's classic treatise that urges Americans to take a stand against government's ills. But over 160 years later, legal protections for whistleblowers haven't caught up with Thoreau's ideals.
ReplyDeleteRead more at: Mother Jones: New Film Explores Obama's War on Whistleblowers and the Free Press
William D. Cohan: How Bad Can It Be for SEC Whistle-Blowers?
ReplyDeleteA leaked court order has revealed the Obama administration is conducting a massive domestic surveillance program by collecting telephone records of millions of Verizon customers.
ReplyDeleteNSA Whistleblowers: "All U.S. Citizens" Targeted by Surveillance Program, Not Just Verizon Customers via Democracy Now!
Remember this paragraph from Obama's 2008 Change campaign ethics agenda?
ReplyDelete"Protect Whistleblowers: Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process."
What happened? Hat tip: Sunlight Foundation - Obama Promises Disappear from Web