USA

SEC Pays $50,000 in First Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Reward

Topics: 
USA, White-collar crime, SEC, Victories, Financial industry, Rewards
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Joshua Gallu, Bloomberg – August 21, 2012

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission awarded $50,000 to a whistleblower in its first payout from a program started last year to reward people who provide regulators with evidence of securities fraud.

The whistleblower helped the SEC bring an enforcement action that resulted in more than $1 million in sanctions, the agency said today in a statement. The award represents 30 percent -- the maximum allowed under the Dodd-Frank Act -- of the approximately $150,000 collected so far.

Vast FDA effort tracked emails of whistleblowing scientists

Topics: 
USA, Reprisals, Regulatory oversight, Health care, Privacy
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2

Eric Lichtblau and Scott Shane – July 14, 2012

A wide-ranging surveillance operation by the Food and Drug Administration against a group of its own scientists used an enemies list of sorts as it secretly captured thousands of e-mails that the disgruntled scientists sent privately to members of Congress, lawyers, labor officials, journalists and even President Obama, previously undisclosed records show.

What began as a narrow investigation into the possible leaking of confidential agency information by five scientists quickly grew in mid-2010 into a much broader campaign to counter outside critics of the agency’s medical review process, according to the cache of more than 80,000 pages of computer documents generated by the surveillance effort.

Trio of US whistleblowers recognized

Topics: 
USA, Honours, Office of Special Counsel
Rating: 
3

William H. McMichael – June 29, 2012

Three years ago, the Dover Port Mortuary workers stood alone in the workplace, berated and ostracized by management for standing up to report undocumented and missing remains at the facility where all U.S. war dead are received and prepared -- practices that outraged the nation.

Thursday in Washington, William Zwicharowski, Mary Ellen Spera and James Parsons were recognized for their11 bravery when the independent Office of Special Counsel gave the trio its Public Servant of the Year award.

How to foster a more ethical culture

Topics: 
USA, Office of Special Counsel, Watchdogs
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Camille Tuutti – June 28, 2012

At a time when government accountability has suffered serious blows, the Office of Special Counsel has become increasingly crucial in fostering an ethical culture and protecting the rights of federal whistle-blowers.

OSC is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency that safeguards the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistle-blowing, and enforces the civilian employment and re-employment rights of military service members under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act and the Hatch Act.

Under Carolyn Lerner, US special counsel office is doing its job now, observers say

Topics: 
USA, Office of Special Counsel, Watchdogs
Rating: 
3
Carolyn Lerner and James Parsons

Joe Davidson – June 29, 2012

A year ago this month, Carolyn Lerner took over a special counsel’s office that held a special place among federal agencies for failing to do its job.

Before President Obama appointed her as special counsel, the office was best known for its previous boss who faced incarceration for contempt of Congress. Morale had been in the pits, right next to the agency’s reputation for effectiveness, especially in protecting the rights of federal whistleblowers.

Inside look at another type of meat glue

Topics: 
Food safety, USA, Food industry
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ABC7 I-Team – May 21, 2012

The I-Team has uncovered more on the growing controversy over meat glue. It's a product that binds bits and pieces of meat together to look like whole steaks.

Now, the ABC7 I-Team looks at how one Midwestern company is helping processors re-make vats of meat they call unsellable into steaks for restaurant tables. This is one reality in the meat industry.

U.S. Special Counsel Warns Agencies Not to Spy on Whistleblowers

Topics: 
USA, OSC, Watchdogs
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Owen Dunn – June 20, 2012

Today, U.S. Special Counsel Carolyn N. Lerner issued a formal memorandum that the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) sent to the Chief Information Officers and General Counsels of all executive departments and agencies stating that electronic surveillance of an employee’s contacts with an Inspector General and/or the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is illegal.

The Special Counsel’s action was sparked by allegations of illegal surveillance of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) whistleblowers supported by the National Whistleblowers Center (NWC).

Egg farm knew about contamination before Salmonella outbreak

Topics: 
Food safety, USA, Corporate ethics, Food industry
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Sarah Damian – June 7, 2012

The GAP Food Integrity Campaign blogged a couple weeks ago about the criminal probe against egg tycoon Jack DeCoster regarding the 2010 Salmonella outbreak.

A lawsuit filed by NuCal Foods – which purchased millions of eggs from DeCoster's Iowa farm that it later had to recall – alleged that DeCoster and his companies knowingly sold tainted product and kept information from the public.

US Air Force commander punished for retaliating against whistleblowers

Topics: 
USA, Victories, Office of Special Counsel
Rating: 
3

Craig Whitlock – May 21, 2012

The Air Force said Monday that it had fined the former commander of the Dover Air Force Base mortuary $7,000 and suspended his top deputy for 20 days without pay for retaliating against whistleblowers, but it allowed both men to keep their jobs.

The punishment came in response to an independent federal investigation that concluded the mortuary’s leadership had wrongfully tried to fire two subordinates after they reported missing body parts, lax management and other problems at the base that handles America’s war dead.

Now more than ever, stronger whistleblower protection essential

Topics: 
USA, Legislation, Research, Merit Systems Protection Board
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Tom Devine and Louis Clark – May 19, 2012

Most Washingtonians now know the appalling details surrounding the General Services Administration scandal in Las Vegas. But while hundreds of GSA employees attended the October 2010 conference, and more than $820,000 in federal money was misused, only recently has the news emerged.

Which brings up a pressing question: With a scandal of this size, where were the whistle-blowers? Notably, at least one courageous employee did come forward and work with GSA Inspector General Brian Miller on the investigation. But Miller hit the nail on the head when he explained at an April House committee hearing why so few employees blew the whistle: They would have been "squashed like a bug" for doing so.

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