whistleblower
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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.
May 22, 2014 -
Former National Security Agency executive Thomas Drake touched the third rail for an intelligence community employee in 2006. He took his concerns about broad, systemic fraud, waste and abuse to the press. The Justice Department indicted him on 10 felony counts. He eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in 2012. As part of our special report Trust Redefined: Reconnecting Government and its Employees, Drake spoke with Federal News Radio executive editor Jason Miller about his decision and its consequences. Read Jason's related article.
May 20, 2014 -
Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller speaks with Thomas Drake about his decision to go public with what he called waste, fraud and abuse at the NSA. Drake is one of the few federal employees to be brought up on non-spy charges under the Espionage Act.
May 20, 2014 -
Across the federal government, the officials who run hotline programs in agency inspector general offices say they're finding ways to cut their backlogs of incoming cases and get vital information into the hands of investigators more quickly. In part, it's because those officials are communicating with one another like never before.
May 20, 2014 -
Trust is a critical factor in the relationship between federal managers and employees. Without it, whistleblowers are retaliated against; minor Hatch Act violations receive severe punishments; and unsuitable employees are given security clearances. In our special report, Trust Redefined: Reconnecting Government and Its Employees, Federal News Radio explores what a lack of trust has created in government and what it will take to restore it.
May 20, 2014 -
The Office of Special Counsel, the agency tasked with investigating federal-agency whistleblower claims and protecting whistleblowers, themselves, from retaliation has seen demand for its work skyrocket in the wake of recent legislative changes. Now, Carolyn Lerner, the head of the OSC, said she hopes the small agency's budget will keep pace.
December 02, 2013 -
Four senators have introduced a bill to extend to members of the military the same whistleblower protections enjoyed by civilian agency employees. The bipartisan bill already has gained the support of one advocacy group -- the Government Accountability Project.
November 25, 2013 -
Polling and research firm Gallup will pay $10.5 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Procurement Integrity Act. The government alleged Gallup knowingly inflated contract prices.
July 15, 2013 -
The law, which goes into effect today, expands reprisal protections to subcontractors and lets contractor employees report wrongdoing to supervisors within their own companies. Previously, contractors would have to go to government agencies or Congress to report waste, fraud and abuse.
July 01, 2013 -
The lawsuit, filed by Richard Priem, a 16-year SAIC employee and Army veteran, alleged the company inflated contract costs by claiming the training program would be staffed by full-time SAIC employees. However, according to the lawsuit, SAIC instead used cheaper part-time employees and pocketed the difference.
June 17, 2013 -
Global defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. has agreed to pay $11.75 million to settle a federal civil claim alleging it overbilled the government for homeland security training programs.
June 14, 2013 -
The Office of Special Counsel is "deeply concerned" about the implications of a federal court ruling that stripped low-level Defense Department employees of their ability to appeal suspensions and demotions outside the agency. OSC, which filed an amicus brief earlier this month with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, is worried the ruling could have a chilling effect on whistleblowers.
March 25, 2013 -
Agents charged Bo Jiang, a contractor at the National Institute of Aerospace, with lying to federal investigators. Jiang was under investigation for possible violations of the Arms Control Act.
March 19, 2013 -
Employees in the intelligence community (IC) who report waste, fraud and abuse have gained whistleblower protections, under a directive President Barack Obama issued Wednesday. The presidential policy directive aims to ensure intelligence and national security employees are able to legally report agency wrongdoing and be protected from retaliation for doing so.
October 10, 2012 -
Agency leaders take steps to show they're serious about employee fraud. Too often, they're relying on the inspector general's office to detect corruption.
September 28, 2012