On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed key legislation that will provide greater protection to federal employees who act as whistleblowers to expose fraud, abuse, and waste in government operations. The President’s approval caps a 13-year effort by whistleblower rights advocates, closing loopholes that have been created in the past by court rulings to remove protections for federal whistleblowers. One of these loopholes included a stipulation that whistleblowers could only be protected if they were the first to report the misconduct.
The new legislation will make it easier to punish managers and supervisors who attempt to retaliate against government workers who become whistleblowers. According to the federal official in charge of investigating retaliation, her office is “ready to implement these important reforms,” which are designed to ensure no employee suffers punishment for speaking out against government misconduct.
However, the new laws will go beyond simply restoring protections, expanding whistleblower rights in general. For example, whistleblowers will now be able to challenge the consequences of certain government policy decisions.
If you have witnessed fraud, waste, or misconduct against the federal government, you may be entitled to compensation if you report it as a whistleblower. Please contact Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. today to schedule a confidential case evaluation with an experienced Washington D.C. whistleblower attorney.
