The National Freedom of Information Coalition joined more than 260 organizations in signing a Government Accountability Project letter to government leaders, supporting the strengthening of whistleblower protections.
The letter, sent to President Biden and Congressional leaders, calls for restoring bipartisan support for whistleblower rights, to ensure government accountability. Stakeholders signing the letter included a broad base of groups, including organizations that focus on issues such as immigration, democracy protection, civil rights, good government, environment, science, consumer protection, worker rights, professional associations, and social justice.
“The public mandate for stronger whistleblower rights is overwhelming,” said Tom Devine, Government Accountability Project legal director. “The politicians need to catch up. America’s pioneering whistleblower laws have become dinosaur rights compared to laws globally. Ours do not compare to 2019 laws passed by the European Union and even Ukraine.
“Ironically, federal workers with the greatest duty to the public have the weakest whistleblower rights at a time when our nation faces the most severe crises in recent memory. The Whistleblower Protection Act’s administrative remedies are largely dormant. Unlike nearly all others in the labor force, federal whistleblowers cannot seek justice in court from a jury. Congress needs to listen to the voters, now.”