Whistleblower Protection Blog : Whistleblower Lawyer & Attorney : National Whistleblower Legal Defense and Education Fund : Whistleblower Protection, Fraud Claims : Washington DC

Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi issued a press release expressing her support for the whistleblower amendment to the stimulus bill.  Speaker Pelosi stated that "It is inconceivable that the people’s business had been conducted for so long without ‘whistleblower’ protections to encourage every public employee to do the right thing."

The Speaker's press release is encouraging as we gear up for a fight in the Senate.  Please contact your Senators IMMEDIATELY and urge them to include the same federal whistleblower protections in their version of the bill that the House passed.  

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Just minutes ago the House of Representatives approved the Platts-Van Hollen amendment to the stimulus package granting whistleblower protection to federal employees and contractors.  Thanks to your action, House members recognized the critical role whistleblowers play in oversight and accountability and the House has approved excellent whistleblower provisions contained in the former H.R. 985.  The amendment was adopted on a voice vote with no audible opposition.

Federal employee whistleblower protections are part of the entire Stimulus Package (H.R. 1), but our work is not done.  Now the battleground shifts to the Senate.

Take Action!  Contact your Senator and tell them to protect federal employees!

This is one of the most important legislative battles ever for whistleblowers.  

Together, good government allies have been fighting for nine years to achieve meaningful whistleblower protection for ALL federal employees.  With the overwhelming support of the House and over 260 public interest organizations on record supporting these protections, this is our best chance and we have the strength to overcome the opposition.  We must seize the moment!

Act Now!  Protect taxpayer dollars!

If you have emailed your Senator now is the time to follow up.   Tell your friends, family, coworkers, and everyone else you know to contact their Senators.   Then call your Senators’ offices and let them know that whistleblower protections are essential for oversight and accountability of federal spending.   Point out how national security workers need whistleblower protections, including jury trials, as much as any other federal employee.  Tell your Senators that the bill will protect both national security and whistleblower rights by requiring an award of whistleblower remedies whenever the government prohibits a whistleblower from using the evidenced needed to prove a case.

Now is the time to do everything you can.  Please consider a personal visit to your Senators’ offices today.   This could be our only opportunity to obtain real protection for federal employees who risk their careers to report waste, fraud, and abuse of your taxpayer dollars.

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At 3:00 PM TODAY there will be a Rules Committee meeting to vote on amendments to the stimulus legislation. One of the amendments under consideration would include whistleblower protection in the bill This is the optimal time for Congress to pass meaningful whistleblower protection! We are urging everyone to Take Action and tell your Congressman to support amending the bill to include whistleblower provisions.

Click here to read more on the NWC website

Click here to take action on this issue!

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"Whistle-blower legislation brings in a lot of money," proclaims the headline in Business Hungary magazine. The article in November's issue reports on a trip to Hungary by Stephen M. Kohn, President of the National Whistlelbower Center. 

Stephen Kohn traveled to Hungary last Fall to urge Hungarian officials to adopt a whistleblower law similar to America's False Claims Act (FCA).  Under the FCA, those whistleblowers who are the original source of information leading to the recovery of federal funds fraudulently obtained can recover between 15% and 30%  of those funds. Since a 1987 amendment, FCA claims have helped taxpayers here  reclaim $20 billion. To help us make these recoveries, the whistleblowers faced
discharge, financial ruin or worse. Even whistleblowers who are not the "original source" of information are still protected from retaliation.

More significant than the money recovered, the FCA compels business to stay honest with the government -- cleaning up entire industries.  No wonder, then, that Hungary's Minister of Justice, Tibor Draskovics, announced plans for a similar law in Hungary. A recent Transparency International report also recommended whistleblower protection legislation as a way to deter corruption.

The Hungarian branch of the Chamber of Commerce recognizes how whistleblower remedies, and even cash awards, will encourage reports of wrongdoing and help honest businesses compete. I wonder, though, why honest American businesses are not promoting the FCA here in their homeland. The FCA routs out the the dishonest operators here too, and levels the playing field for honest businesspeople everywhere. It would be logical, then, if these same American businesses would support the False Claims Corrections Act when it is reintroduced in the new Congress.

Click here for an image of this Business Hungary article.

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