Government Accountability Project

In today’s Federal Newscast, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) introduces new legislation requiring federal regulators to encourage financial institutions to work with consumers and other business impacted by a shutdown.

Good government groups are making a last-ditch effort to resolve an increasingly likely scenario at the Merit Systems Protection Board. The board will have no members starting Friday, unless Congress passes a temporary term extension or finds a way to confirm new nominees.

If the Senate confirms President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Merit Systems Protection Board, it would restore a quorum after a year-long gap.

The Office of Special Counsel reminds agencies of employee whistleblower rights, as the Justice Department tightens its control on communication to Congress.

Several good government and oversight organizations, along with eight individual whistleblowers, wrote to House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) in support of the whistleblower protections included in the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act. But they had some tough criticism for the changes the bill would make to due process rights for VA executives.

The Marine Corps has settled a complaint with a high-profile whistleblower. Marine Corps civilian scientist Franz Gayl had raised concerns about delays in sending the blast-resistant trucks known as M-RAPs to Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, after the seven-year battle, the service is pledging to create a better environment for whistleblowers. Tom Devine is the legal director for the Government Accountability Project and he represented Franz Gayl. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with the details of the case.

Franz Gayl’s seven-year Whistleblower Protection Act complaint case against the United States Marine Corps has come to an end. On top of preserving Gayl’s position, the deal also appoints Gayl to a new team tasked with developing guidelines for whistleblower rights.

Tom Devine of the Government Accountability Project told a House subcommittee Tuesday that some agencies are circumventing the protections provided by the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act.

The Supreme Court has dealt a victory for federal whistleblowers. It recently ruled that anything government employees say in court under oath is protected by the First Amendment. They cannot be fired for testifying. The ruling breaks with past decisions. Tom Devine is the legal director at the Government Accountability Project. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss details of the Supreme Court case.

When federal whistleblowers report wrongdoing at their agencies it’s usually out of a sense of loyalty to the mission. So, why is it that they are sometimes shunned, or worse, for bringing issues of waste, fraud and abuse to the surface? In a column for Federal News Radio’s special report, Trust Redefined: Reconnecting Government and Its Employees, Tom Devine of the Government Accountability Project explains why he believes whistleblowers should be embraced.