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June 5, 2008 at 01:20:12

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Most Historic Day for Whistleblowers: 112 Public Groups Unite!

by James Murtagh     Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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In  unity of public interest groups, 112 organizations united today to ask Congress to finally enact into law the most comprehensive Whistleblower Act in U.S. history.
 
Washington D. C. June 5, 2008- In a letter unveiled today by the Government Accountability Project (GAP) legal director, Mr.  Tom Devine Esq.,  huge numbers of public interest groups from every sector of American society, from every part of the country, united with National Public Interest groups from Washington in the completely unanimous request.
 
“Millions of Americans have spoken, in a mind-boggling show of unity” stated Mr. Mike McCray, Esq., co-leader of the Intenational Association of Whistleblowers (IAW): “Citizen groups on both the right and the left have united. Whistleblowers protect the health, safety, environment, civil rights and the rule of law in our society. By protecting whistleblowers, we protect our citizens and our society.”
 
“We still have a long way to go,” stated IAW co-chair Dr. James Murtagh. “But this is an essential first step to restore essential American security and values. We greatly hope that all presidential candidates will embrace the values of this bipartisan legislation.”
 
The 112 groups believe that every truth-teller acting in the public interest must be protected by law. “The current WPA is imperfect,” continued Murtagh, “But it is an absolutely essential first step.”
 
The Whistleblower legislation is universally endorsed by good government groups, from Public Citizen to the ACLU to the Make It Safe Coalition (MISC), the Liberty Coalition (LC), the International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW) and Doctors coalitions led by the Semmelweis Society International (SSI), and many other non-alligned public interest groups, representing millions of Americans.
 
This letter, addressed to Sen. Joseph Lieberman; Sen. Susan Collins; Sen. Daniel Akaka; Sen. George Voinovich; Rep. Henry Waxman; Rep. Tom Davis; Rep. Todd Platts; Rep. Chris Van Hollen asked for rapid enactment of the Whistleblower Protection Act,  a landmark, eight-year legislative effort to restore a credible Whistleblower Protection.  
 
The 112 united groups ask Congressional support to “expeditiously conclude the process of reconciling House nd Senate passed versions of this vital good government legislation, H.R. 985 and S. 274.   “
Essential provisions of this bill  would:
 
o Grant employees the right to a jury trial in federal court; 
 
o Specifically protect federal scientists who report efforts to alter, misrepresent, or suppress federal research; 
 
o Extend meaningful protections to FBI and intelligence agency whistleblowers; 
 
o Strengthen protections for federal contractors, as strong as those provided to DoD contractors and grantees in last year's defense authorization legislation; 
 
o Extend meaningful protections to Transportation Security Officers (screeners); 
 
o Neutralize the government's use of the “state secrets” privilege; 
 
o Bar the MSPB from ruling for an agency before whistleblowers have the opportunity to present evidence of retaliation; 
 
o Provide whistleblowers the right to be made whole, including compensatory damages; 
 
o Grant comparable due process rights to employees who blow the whistle in the course of a government investigation or who refuse to violate the law; and 
 
o Remove the Federal Circuit's monopoly on precedent-setting cases. 
 
As noted by the unity letter: “Once the reconciled version becomes law, the real winners will be the public! “

112 public interest groups urge all Americans to write their Congresspersons and demand enactment of the WPA. Public safety depends on swift action.

For a complete  text of the letter, see the Government Accountability Project at click.
 
Complete listing of the 112 united groups endorsing the WPA support letter:
 
Action for a Clean Environment ; Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility ;
Alliance for Patient Safety ; American Association for Justice (AAJ) ; American Association of Law Libraries ; American Association of Small Property Owners ;
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression ;American Civil Liberties Union ; American Federation of Government Employees ; American Society of Journalists and Authors ; Atlanta WAND (Women's Action for New Directions) ; Bill of Rights Defense Committee ; Center for Biological Diversity ; Center for Corporate Policy ; Center for Democracy and Technology ; Center for Financial Privacy and Human Rights ; Center for Science in the Public Interest ; Center to Advance Human Potential; Circumpolar Conservation Union; Citizen Action New Mexico ; Citizens Awareness Network ; Coalition on Political Assassinations; 9/11 Research Project ; 3.5.7 Commission on Judicial Reform ; Common Cause ;Community Service Organization del Norte ; Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety;  Concerned Foreign Service Officers; Congress Against Racism & Corruption in Law Enforcement (CARCLE) ;Consumers Union ; Defenders of Wildlife ; Defending Dissent Foundation; Disaster Accountability Project; Education Writers Association; EnviroJustice ;Environmental Defense Institute; Essential Information; Ethics in Government Group; Federation of American Scientists; Feminists For Free Expression; Focus-On-Indiana for Judicial Reform; Food and Water Watch; Food Not Bombs/Atlanta; Foundation for Global Community/Atlanta; Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers); Fund for Constitutional Government; Georgians for Open Government; Global Green USA; Government Accountability Project; Grandmothers for Peace, San Luis Obispo County Chapter; Green Party of the United States; HALT, Inc. -- An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform; Hanford Challenge; Health Integrity Project; Institute for Energy and Environmental Research; Integrity International; International Association of Whistleblowers;Iranian American Democratic Association; James Madison Project; Justice Through Music; Liberty Coalition;Micah's Mission; The Multiracial Activist; National Accountant Whistleblower Coalition; National Association of Science Writers; National Coalition Against Censorship; National Consumers League; National Employment Lawyers Association; National Judicial Conduct and Disability Law Project, Inc.; National Research Center for Women & Families;National Taxpayers Union ;National Treasury Employees Union; National Whistleblower Center; National Women's Health Network;NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby; New Grady Coalition; New Jersey Work Environment Council; Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, New York; Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS); Nuclear Information and Resource Service ;OMB Watch; OpenTheGovernment.org; OSC Watch; Our Bodies Ourselves; Patrick Henry Center; Peace Action & Peace Action Education Fund; Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice; Privacy International; Professional Inventor's Alliance;  Project On Government Oversight; Proposition One Committee ;Public Citizen ;
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility;The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; Reproductive Health Technologies Project;The Rutherford Institute ;Safe Water Colorado and Nuclear Nexus Projects; The Semmelweis Society International (SSI); Society of Professional Journalists;The Student Health Integrity Project (SHIP); Sustainable Energy and Economy Network (SEEN); Taxpayers Against Fraud; Truckers Justice Center; Union of Concerned Scientists; U.S. Bill of Rights Foundation; U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S.PIRG); Veterans Affairs Whistleblowers Coalition;We the People, Inc; Western Organization of Resource Councils; Whistleblower Mentoring Project; Whistleblowers USA; WoodyMatters
 

Also, we urge all citizens to join the IAW at:

 

Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
Support the Whistleblower protection act

Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers

http://www.internationalassociationofwhistleblowers.net/

Murtagh is a doctor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.- Murtagh's career combines both writing and science.- Dr. James Murtagh is a co-founder of the International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW), and of Washington (more...)
 

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Text of letter: Write your Congressperson today!

We urge all citizens to view the text of the letter at  <click here link will not be visible on our site until 10 AM this morning).

 Special thanks to Adam Miles and Tom Devine (GAP), Beth Daley (POGO), Celia Wexler (UCS), Angela Canterbury (Public Citizen) for organizing this effort.

 

If you’d like to direct your constituents/members to support whistleblower rights, please find an excellent action item link, which takes you to Public Citizen’s web site here: www.WhistleblowerAction.org

 

Please write your Congressperson today and urge immediate steps to enact H.R. 985 and S. 274. Thank you. 

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 7:45:23 AM

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Help Protect Government Whistleblowers

Public Citizen writes:

When scientific research is altered or suppressed, government contractors waste millions of taxpayer dollars, or national security documents are falsified, witnesses need to know that they can blow the whistle without reprisals endangering their careers and their lives.

Unfortunately, that is not the case today.

We are close to ending retaliation against those who speak up against abuses – and the unmistakable, chilling message that reprisals against whistleblowers sends to all employees that they should keep quiet, or else.

Last year, strong whistleblower protection bills were passed in both houses of Congress. Now it’s time for Congress to finish the job by passing a final bill.

Show your support for honesty and accountability!  Demand that your members of Congress put politics aside to finalize and pass a strong bill to protect government employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud, and abuse. Please take a minute to personalize a letter to your Congressperson today!

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 8:46:21 AM

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Whistleblower Help

Whistleblowers go thru hell and need everyone to support the passing of various laws to protect the whistleblower.  If there is no remedy there is no justice.

by Don Soeken (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 1:14:10 PM

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Reply: Interrogation Ethics Casebook Project

Thanks Don,

 You really have been the whistleblower's bulldog. It must be a fullfillment of your dream to see 112 groups collaborate. This is a new level of cooperation.

Your new project on Interrogation Ethics will be the focus of my column tomorrow.

 OpEd News is committing to a new level of collaboration with the IAW. Look forward to talking to you more,

 

Jim 

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 1:50:28 PM

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thanks

just called my rep Dreier, looking forward to stronger protections, whistleblowers are patriots

POGO, GAP, Public Citizen and many more of these groups support Sibel Edmonds, FBI translator who blew the whistle on ignored 9/11 intelligence and quashed FBI investigations into Congressional, State and Pentagon officials taking bribes, laundering money, covering up 9/11 and trafficking in drugs, arms and nuclear secrets

Sibel Edmonds vs. the Nuclear Terrorists 

 

by Better World Order (4 articles, 568 quicklinks, 39 diaries, 1110 comments [56 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 2:41:42 PM

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Reply: Sibel is great

Thanks for the articles you have written on Sibel's case. We know she is busy, but we'd definitely like to have both of you participate as much as you can in the IAW.

 We have an IAW conference call tomorrow. Feel free to contact if you'd like to participate.

 Best, Jim

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 3:10:22 PM

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POGO urges action today

From POGO: 

Support Immediate Action to Protect Whistleblowers

 

Dear friend, 

I'm writing today to ask for your help on a very important matter.

Last year, Congress took an important step toward restoring whistleblower rights by advancing a vital piece of legislation that will protect whistleblowers from retaliation.  Both the House and Senate passed the bill by a veto-proof majority.  Now, it is up to Congress to finish the job by reconciling the House and Senate versions, and sending a finalized bill to the president for his signature. 

Unfortunately, every day that passes without a finalized version of the bill has very tangible consequences for scores of whistleblowers who still lack viable legal rights.  Please click on the "Take Action" link below to tell your members of Congress that you support enhanced protections for government employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud, and abuse. 

Over 100 organizations representing millions of Americans are also writing to Congress urging swift action to restore strong, comprehensive whistleblower rights.  Check out our press alert and blog post to learn more.


Sincerely,

 

 

 


Beth Daley
Director of Investigations
Project On Government Oversight 

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 3:16:29 PM

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From the Government Accountability Project (GAP)

112 Organizations Endorse Quick Action to Restore Comprehensive Federal Worker Whistleblower Rights

Published on Jun 5, 2008 -

By: Government Accountability Project

Washington June 5, 2008 - A coalition of 112 religious, scientific, consumer, civil liberties, civil rights, peace, small-business, labor, libertarian, journalism, environmental, and good-government organizations, representing millions of Americans, is urging key U.S. Senate and House negotiators to agree to the strongest possible federal employee whistleblower protections and to deliver a bill this year to President Bush.

In a letter delivered to Capitol Hill yesterday, a diverse array of organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Society of Professional Journalists, American Association of Small Business Owners, Consumers Union, the Liberty Coalition and the Rutherford Institute, praised congressional whistleblower rights leaders for the steps they have taken to conclude an eight-year struggle to provide meaningful whistleblower protections to federal employees.

The letter was spearheaded by the Government Accountability Project (GAP), Public Citizen, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

"POGO is proud to join our colleagues in support of this historic legislation to protect the courageous men and women willing to risk their careers and family to stand for the truth," stated POGO Director of Investigations Beth Daley.

"This is an unprecedented public mandate for freedom of speech when it counts the most – challenging abuses of power that betray the public trust," added GAP Legal Director Tom Devine. "It also reaffirms voters' demands for stronger whistleblower protections. The public, and the groups that represent them, define that to mean jury trials for all employees paid by the taxpayers. Whistleblowers are the public's eyes and ears against government corruption sustained by secrecy."

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 3:20:58 PM

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From Taxpayers against Fraud (TAF)

Walgreens Pays $35 Million,
Settles Medicaid Fraud Allegations

By paying $35 million, Walgreens, the self-proclaimed "Pharmacy America Trusts®" settled allegations by a pharmacist whistleblower that it unlawfully defrauded Medicaid by switching prescriptions for ranitidine, the generic form of the brand-name drug Zantac®, and fluoxetine, the generic form of Prozac®. The United States, Puerto Rico, 42 states, and qui tam Relator Bernard Lisitza claimed that Walgreens improperly caused its pharmacies to switch Medicaid patients' prescriptions from ranitidine tablets to ranitidine capsules, and from fluoxetine capsules to fluoxetine tablets.

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 3:26:36 PM

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Send a letter to Congress

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Congressperson
Your Senators

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Support Immediate Action to Protect Whistleblowers

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I am urging you to support an effort underway to finalize legislation to give whistleblower protections to federal employees and government contractors. The legislation is one of the most important common sense ways to ensure that the federal government is honest, open, and accountable.

In doing so, I am joining organizations representing millions of Americans across the political spectrum who have also endorsed the legislation. The Senate and the House have both passed bills by a veto-proof majority, but the bills must be reconciled.

I believe the House's "Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007" (H.R. 985) offers stronger protections than the Senate's bill (S. 274). It closes important loopholes by expanding protection to national security workers in the FBI and other intelligence agencies, government contractors, and almost 40,000 airport baggage screeners. It also has a specific provision to protect scientists, making it illegal to censor or alter the results of federal research. For these and other whistleblowers, the right to due process will be provided, including jury trials when they face retribution from co-workers or employers. Even if disclosures are made during official duties, employees should have meaningful protection.

I am discouraged that we are still waiting for you and your colleagues to reconcile the two bills and enact this critical legislation. I urge you to put politics aside in order to finalize and pass the strongest bill possible to protect whistleblowers who expose government waste, fraud, and abuse.

Thank you for listening to a constituent. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Thursday, Jun 5, 2008 at 4:25:52 PM

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From the Washington Post

Pressing for Stronger Protections for Whistle-Blowers Friday, June 6, 2008; Page D03

A coalition of 112 organizations is urging House and Senate negotiators to move quickly to resolve differences over legislation that would strengthen the protections afforded federal employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse.

The House approved a bill, 331 to 94, to broaden whistle-blower rights 15 months ago, and the Senate approved its version on a voice vote in December. But the bills contain different provisions, and advocates for whistle-blowers are concerned that election-year campaigns may cut short the time that Congress has to get a compromise version to the White House.

"We offer our support to expeditiously conclude the process of reconciling House and Senate passed versions of this vital good government legislation," the coalition said in a letter sent Wednesday to members of the House and Senate who will put together a final bill.

Some groups in the coalition have worked on expanded whistle-blower protections for eight years. They contend that the Merit Systems Protection Board and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have wrongfully interpreted or taken a too narrow view of whistle-blower rights provided in a 1989 law.

There are 400 to 500 whistle-blower cases in the government every year, and advocacy groups argue that federal agencies often try to silence or discredit employees who speak out about waste and mismanagement.

The letter was organized by the Government Accountability Project, Public Citizen, the Project on Government Oversight and the Union of Concerned Scientists. Members of the coalition include religious, consumer, civil liberties, environmental and other groups.

Any compromise, the coalition said, should retain key proposals in the House and Senate bills, including providing federal whistle-blowers with the right to a jury trial in federal court and stronger safeguards for federal scientists who report efforts to misrepresent or suppress research.

by James Murtagh (42 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments) on Friday, Jun 6, 2008 at 9:16:08 AM

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What a shame that honor must be legislated - but

With genuine, effective protection from a variety of retaliations, whitleblowers can be enormously effective in holding organizations of all types accountable and responsible.  From government, intelligence, military and accounting to public services, industry and commerce, this law will be a wake up call to compel those without honor to at least conduct themselves in an honorable way.

What a shame that such a law is required and what a powerful statement about the condition of our society and culture.

But you can bet that there will be notable exemptions.  Who wants to wager that the US congress and the White House will position themselves to be above this law - too?

 

by Michael McCoy (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 487 comments [26 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 7, 2008 at 5:15:50 AM

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