49 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 37 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds   

DOJ Whistleblower Jesselyn Radack Releases Memoir

Message Amanda Lang
Become a Fan
  (9 fans)
PRESS RELEASE:

DOJ Whistleblower Jesselyn Radack Releases Memoir

Praise & Foreword from Glenn Greenwald, Accolades from Daniel Ellsberg

February 16, 2012

(Washington, DC) -- Jesselyn Radack, the Department of Justice (DOJ) whistleblower who exposed violations in the federal government's handling of the case against "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh, has released a new memoir about her experience blowing the whistle on Bush administration officials' wrongdoing, the subsequent and significant retaliation against her for doing so, and how she used her experiences to later guide other high-profile whistleblowers. Radack serves as National Security & Human Rights Director for the Government Accountability Project (GAP).

  Radack's memoir, Traitor: The Whistleblower and the "American Taliban" , is available now on Amazon.com and was listed as the #1 Best Seller in Human Rights Law.

  Radack's book explains her experiences as a DOJ ethics adviser who disclosed that the FBI committed ethical violations in its interrogation of Lindh, such as interrogating him without an attorney present. She also exposed that the DOJ attempted to suppress that information, and that former Attorney General John Ashcroft and other senior government officials made misleading public statements about the case.

  Praise for Radack's actions, and the book, have been overwhelmingly positive. Noted New York Times bestselling author Glenn Greenwald wrote the book's foreword:

[Jesselyn's] sobering book should be required reading for all first-year law students because it shows poignantly how "national security" is being used to fundamentally bastardize constitutional law, criminal procedure, human rights, civil liberties and legal ethics.

Traitor illustrates just how long and how extreme retaliation against whistleblowers can be. For example, Radack was put on the No-Fly "Selectee" List from 2003 through 2009, always being forced to go through extra, unjustified, completely unnecessary security measures (at one point, she was even asked to drink her own breast milk by a TSA agent).

Importantly, Radack explains how she was able to apply the lessons she learned during her ordeal to future whistleblowers -- notably National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Tom Drake, one of six individuals charged by the Obama administration with violating the Espionage Act for whistleblowing-related disclosures. These six Espionage Act prosecutions against truth-tellers are more than all other administrations combined. With four of these cases still outstanding and progressing toward trial, the book is a timely read for all concerned about this heavy-handed and overzealous DOJ tactic.

Daniel Ellsberg was the first person charged under the Espionage Act in this fashion. This pioneer of modern-day whistleblowing provided this inspiring review of the book:

There's simply no better first-person book about whistleblowing. It illustrates dramatically both the risks of conscientious truth-telling -- fully experienced by Jesselyn, a horror story greatly to the discredit of the government -- and the compelling need for indomitable whistleblowers like her.

Radack is available to discuss the book with members of the media (contact information below) and a list of her upcoming public appearances can be found here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Contact : Jesselyn Radack, GAP National Security & Human Rights Director   Phone : 202.457.0034, ext. 107   Email : jesselynr@whistleblower.org

  Contact : Dylan Blaylock, GAP Communications Director   Phone : 202.457.0034, ext. 137   Email : dylanb@whistleblower.org

Government Accountability Project

The Government Accountability Project is the nation's leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP's mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. 


Rate It | View Ratings

Amanda Lang Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

OpedNews volunteer from 2005 to 2013.

Amanda Lang was a wonderful member of the Opednews team, and the first volunteer editor, for a good number of years being a senior editor. She passed away summer 2014.

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend