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Return to Article: Groups call for whistleblowers to come forward

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  OSC or OIG seem almost identcal in the way they handle complaints. Don't make waves. Don't find anything too illegal. Don't find corruption that might involve government executives. Don't explain why a complaint wasn't investigated or answer the charges made by a whistle blower.

  Is any wonder that the government is so wasteful and corrupted when even the people responsible for policing federal agencies are under the thumb of federal executives who don't want anyone making waves?

  What these non-profit watch dog groups should be doing is providing a hotline of their own for whistle blowers and then provide support for whistle blowers when they file their complaints with OSC and OIG. What good is it to wait and then try to find the complaintants months and years later. That's too late. A whistleblower may be subject to all sorts of retaliation before these watch dog groups get their act together.

  Robert M. Posted April 27, 2005 2:33 PM
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  I give a lot of credit to GAP and POGO (and Senator Grassley) for their continuing efforts to protect whistleblowers from reprisal. However, it appears to be a lost cause.

  Whether you go back 18 months or 18 years, the story rarely changes:

  - Whistleblower X had an unblemished record of superior performance prior to the protected disclosure.
  - Whistleblower X suffered an adverse personnel action subsequent to the protected disclosure.
  - The adverse personnel action involved termination, suspension, reassignment and/or downgrade.
  - Whistleblower X lost on appeal and suffered long-term financial consequences.
  - The immediate supervisor was not subjected to any disciplinary action regardless of the outcome.
  

  The Office of Special Counsel is one of the most bureaucratic and ineffective agencies in the federal government. If you happen to be a whistleblower, you cannot count on OSC.

  GovExec.com reader Posted April 27, 2005 2:18 PM