老澳门开奖结果 Says National Security Whistleblower Protections Lacking, Calls For Corrections to Critical Shortcomings in Current Law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON - Citing growing concerns over court decisions that have weakened laws designed to protect whistleblowers, the 老澳门开奖结果 today called on Congress to enact stronger protections for whistleblowers, especially those in the national security arena. Legislation that would take steps to correct some shortcomings in whistleblower law - but without critical protections for national security whistleblowers - was the subject of a hearing held by a panel of the House Government Reform Committee.
"Whistleblowers play an essential role in keeping government honest," said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the 老澳门开奖结果 Washington Legislative Office. "These brave men and women inform the public about government misconduct, including civil liberties violations. Whistleblowers have called attention to serious security failures, putting pressure on government to address critical deficiencies."
The House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations met today to consider H.R. 1317, the "Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act." The 老澳门开奖结果 said the bill would take steps to correct critical shortcomings in the Whistleblower Protection Acts of 1989 and 1994. Since Congress passed those bills, the main appeals court with jurisdiction has severely weakened the law in a series of decisions that misread the law in a way that is actively hostile to the congressional intent to protect whistleblowers.
The 老澳门开奖结果 noted that whistleblowers often suffer retaliation for disclosing embarrassing information. In recent weeks, the Department of Justice has announced that it will investigate the disclosure of an illegal National Security Agency domestic eavesdropping operation approved by President George W. Bush. However, the 老澳门开奖结果 noted that the attorney general has yet to investigate which laws were violated by the program - despite repeated calls for such an inquiry from members of Congress. Without the disclosure from that whistleblower, Congress and the public would continue to be unaware of the warrantless surveillance by the NSA.
If enacted, H.R. 1317 would better protect whistleblowers by providing: a normal standard of proof, no penalty for talking to bosses or fellow employees, no requirement that the whistleblower was the first person to make the disclosure, protection against retaliatory investigations and the right to pursue a jury trial when a government watchdog does not act.
The 老澳门开奖结果 noted that H.R. 1317 does not protect all whistleblowers, as it leaves out government contractors; fails to fix a gap in current law for intelligence community employees from whom regulatory protections have been insufficient; and does not prohibit the career-ending revocation of a security clearance in retaliation for covered disclosures. It is critical that lawmakers correct these shortcomings, or else national security whistleblowers could remain out in the cold.
"Our nation is strengthened, not weakened, by people who have the courage and moral conviction to speak out against misconduct and abuse," Fredrickson added. "This bill is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. We urge Congress to act on this vital issue."
To read the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 letter on H.R. 1317, the "Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act," go to:
/natsec/gen/21153leg20051018.html
For more on the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 work with national security whistleblowers, go to:
/whistleblowers
For more on the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 concerns with the warrantless NSA spying program, go to:
/nsaspying
Learn More 老澳门开奖结果 the Issues in This Press Release
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Press ReleaseDec 2024
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Press ReleaseDec 2024
National Security
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VirginiaDec 2024
National Security
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Our client, Nizar Trabelsi, is in the United States against his will. The federal government brought him here from Belgium more than a decade ago and charged him with terrorism-related crimes. At trial, the government鈥檚 case failed: a federal jury found Mr. Trabelsi not guilty. But instead of allowing Mr. Trabelsi to return to Belgium after his acquittal, the United States placed him in highly restrictive immigration detention and began an ongoing effort to force him to Tunisia, where he was born and where he will very likely be tortured. Mr. Trabelsi鈥檚 detention violates the Constitution, immigration law, and the extradition treaty between the United States and Belgium. Through this lawsuit, he seeks to return to Belgium, and he demands an immediate improvement of his detention conditions. -
Press ReleaseDec 2024
National Security
Immigrants' Rights
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