USA

USA whistleblower watchdog wins stay of gag orders

Sujets: 
USA, OSC, Watchdogs, Gag orders
Scores: 
2

Josh Hicks – December 3, 2012

A board that conducts hearings over questionable personnel practices issued a stay order against the Commerce Department’s Office of the Inspector General Thursday, temporarily lifting gag agreements aimed at preventing four senior law enforcement officers from speaking out against the agency.

The Office of Special Counsel, which requested the order from the Merit Systems Protection Board, claims three top inspector general’s officials coerced four of their agents to sign nondisclosure agreements to keep them from volunteering information about the agency to the OSC or Congress, thereby violating whistleblower laws.

The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Got Its Way in Mexico

Sujets: 
USA, Mexico, Corruption, Corporate ethics
Scores: 
2
The following are selected extracts

David Barstow and Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab – December 17, 2012

Wal-Mart longed to build in Elda Pineda’s alfalfa field. It was an ideal location, just off this town’s bustling main entrance and barely a mile from its ancient pyramids, which draw tourists from around the world. With its usual precision, Wal-Mart calculated it would attract 250 customers an hour if only it could put a store in Mrs. Pineda’s field.

One major obstacle stood in Wal-Mart’s way. After years of study, the town’s elected leaders had just approved a new zoning map. The leaders wanted to limit growth near the pyramids, and they considered the town’s main entrance too congested already. As a result, the 2003 zoning map prohibited commercial development on Mrs. Pineda’s field, seemingly dooming Wal-Mart’s hopes.

Former US Whistleblower Watchdog Charged with Destruction of Government Property

Sujets: 
USA, Office of Special Counsel, Watchdogs
Scores: 
2

Mike Scarcella – December 21, 2012

A former George W. Bush administration lawyer who once faced jail time for contempt of Congress was charged today in a separate, related offense: destruction of government property.

The saga of Scott Bloch, the former head of the Office of Special Counsel, spans several years. Bloch pleaded guilty in Washington federal district court in April 2010 to the misdemeanor contempt charge of contempt of Congress. Bloch, his lawyer and prosecutors settled on a deal for probation. But that agreement was never implemented.

The Times Should Have a Reporter at the Bradley Manning Hearing

Sujets: 
Unpublished or under-reported, Media, USA
Scores: 
2

Margaret Sullivan – December 5, 2012

In failing to send its own reporter to cover the fascinating and important pretrial testimony of Bradley Manning, The New York Times missed the boat.

Over the past several days, as compelling testimony over the harsh treatment of this 24-year-old Army private turned whistle-blower (or illegal informant, depending on your point of view) flooded the media zone, The Times was notably absent.

US bank settles suit; whistleblower gets $1.1 million

Sujets: 
USA, Financial industry, Corruption, Qui tam or False Claims Act
Scores: 
2

November 8, 2012

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (BK) has reached a settlement over accusations it charged hidden mark-ups on currency transactions to Virginia's employee pension fund, in a deal that will include a $1.1 million payment to the bank insider who brought the practice to light, according to a source familiar with the matter.

As part of the agreement, Virginia will permanently drop its lawsuit against Bank of New York, and the bank will offer some compromises on fees going forward, according to sources familiar with the details who spoke on condition of anonymity. A proposed order either already has or is about to be filed with the court seeking permanent dismissal of the case, one of the sources said.

Mystery whistleblower could win big in HP accounting case

Sujets: 
USA, SEC, Rewards
Scores: 
0
The following are selected extracts

Andrew Longstreth – November 21, 2012

While the Hewlett-Packard Co accounting scandal has produced several losers, it also produced one potentially very big winner: the whistleblower.

HP said on Tuesday that a whistleblower had alleged improper accounting at Autonomy, the British software company it bought last year, and said it is taking an US$8.8-billion charge.

President signs whistleblower bill for US workers

Sujets: 
USA, Legislation, Victories
Scores: 
2

Larry Margasak – November 27, 2012

President Barack Obama signed legislation Tuesday that affords greater protection to federal employees who expose fraud, waste and abuse in government operations.

Capping a 13-year effort by supporters of whistle-blower rights, the new law closes loopholes created by court rulings, which removed protections for federal whistle-blowers. One loophole specified that whistle-blowers were only protected when they were the first to report misconduct.

Landmark USA whistleblower law passed by Senate

Sujets: 
USA, Legislation
Scores: 
2

November 13, 2012

After 13 Year Campaign, S. 743 Sent to President's Desk

The Government Accountability Project (GAP) hailed today's Senate passage of S. 743, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA), by unanimous consent. The legislation would provide millions of federal workers with the rights they need to safely report government corruption and wrongdoing.

The bill reflects an unequivocal bipartisan consensus, having received the vote of every member in the 112th Congress. The House of Representatives unanimously approved S. 743 in September, and the Senate immediately followed suit during the lame duck session. The text of the bill can be read here.

UBS Whistleblower Gets $104M for Shattering Swiss Banking Secrecy

Sujets: 
USA, White-collar crime, Victories
Scores: 
3

Jesselyn Radack – September 11, 2012

After recent rumors of a turnaround for financial whistleblowers seeking rewards under the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) whistleblower reward program, it is fitting that one of its rare financial awards goes to United Swiss Bank (UBS) whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld.

Not only is Birkenfeld the biggest tax fraud whistleblower in history (who handed the IRS key information on a silver platter), but he is especially deserving as he is the only person to go to prison among the thousands of Swiss bank account tax cheats he exposed. (Easy to understand now that we have a presidential candidate who hides money in offshore tax havens.)

California whistleblower complaints not investigated properly

Sujets: 
USA, Watchdogs
Scores: 
0

Will Evans – September 4, 2012

State labor officials routinely fail to properly investigate whistleblower complaints of retaliation in the workplace, according to a federal review.

A harsh evaluation by the U.S. Department of Labor found that state investigators lack basic training and often fail to perform standard required tasks such as interviewing witnesses. The review (pdf) examined the work of the state Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which investigates complaints from workers who say they were punished for reporting labor or safety violations.

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