AP: DoD Inspector General's Office's "Demoralized" Staff Rejects Over 90% of Whistleblower Claims
This morning, the AP released a story detailing the failure of the Department of Defense Inspector General's (DoD IG) office to perform it's two essential functions: (a) protect military whistleblowers and (b)investigate their claims. As one whistleblower in the story says: "They are supposed to serve as the conscience of the Department of Defense. And they're not." The AP used Freedom of Information Act Requests and interviews with whistleblowers and advocates to determine multiple shortcomings:
- Although DoD IG received over 3,000 whistleblower claims over the past six years, it found no wrongdoing by the military over 90% of the time.
- 73% of the cases were closed after only a "preliminary review."
- A confidential survey of the workers and managers in DoD IG found that the workforce was "demoralized and ambivalent." and that one-third of the employees there were described as "disaffected.
Revalations of this kind would be of concern in any agency or area of government, but this story is particularly worrisome. We know that the men and women serving our country in the military witness countless acts of fraud, waste, abuse, and much worse (think Abu Ghraib). The size of the Defense Budget, and the volume of lucrative government contracts to private corporations in recent years (see Bunny Greenhouse), has increased the need for oversight and whistleblower protection for military employees. Further, military whistleblowers are often more vulnerable to retaliation, and they often have no recourse whatsoever if their claim is rejected by the DoD IG.
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Dear Readers, 10/31/2008
Dear NWC,
Here is a informative you tube video that would surely enhance and contribute to this great NWC Article that appears to be near and dear to all and the NWC and all US Taxpayers.
The video is intitled; '1 DAY before 9/11 WTC attack! DO u know what happened? WATCH!' and the link is [www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlnQTcLHaMM].
The video is approximately 3 minutes with then DoD Chief Donald Rumsfield and the several Department of Defense Employees, including 'Mr. Vince Gonzales investigates the Pentagon' bring to the attention of their Supervisor(s) and in just one area of well over 1 Trillion Dollars of fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer funds of several hundred million dollars. His DoD Supervisor responds 'Why do you care?. The DoD US Federal Employee answers, 'Well, because it is my assigned job'.
Please note that I continue to be exasperated and frustrated as our US Executive, Judicial and Legislative Branches of our US Government continue to fail us all in their illegal subterfuge of the FEDERAL EMPLOYEE RESTORATION ACT OF 2003 S1358 AND 2008 HR985 and continue to hold our US Democratic US Constitutional Government nugatory in this denial of our 'We the People' inalienable rights.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Axel
Axel V. Sabersky
This article is typical. A so-called investigative reporter reporting their 'findings' after no real attemp at investigating why 90% of IG complaints are not investigated at this level.
I have apporximately 10 years of investigative experience in criminal investigations and over 20 years of active and reserve military experience; including 3 commands, one of which I am currently in. With this background I can say freely that the reason 90% of the cases that go to the DoD IG are unfounded or not investigated is because 90% of them are complete BS.
Let the professionals at the DoD IG do their jobs. Maybe someone should investigate how you investigated this story?
John Camps, 11/15/2008
As per your response which seemingly and adamently states and implies that 90% = 2700 cases of the above case are bogus, would you provide us just one case example of the 2700 cases you claim are Bogus.