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Appoint a New Special Counsel |
Since 1978, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has failed to live up to its mission to protect whistleblowers, and has been dominated by political appointees. Now, the former head of whistleblower enforcement, Scott Bloch, pleaded guilty to serious criminal misconduct. This only serves to highlight how the OSC has been abused by politicians intent on having the foxes guard the chicken coop.
President Obama made a campaign
promise to appoint a strong advocate for whistleblowers as the new
Special Counsel. Nearly 2 years after that promise was made, no
nomination has been sent to the Senate for confirmation.
It is understandable, with the OSC run by a criminal and an office
seeped in a culture of cover-up, that the OSC stood by while
whistleblowers like Theresa Chambers and Bunnatine Greenhouse lost their
jobs after coming forward to report the truth. But it is unforgivable
that the office entrusted to protect these people has been twisted and
corrupted at its core.
We must let President Obama and Congress know that now is
the time to fulfill his campaign promises by appointing Special Counsel
who is a proven strong advocate for whistleblowers and an aggressive
enforcement official. The person nominated in the wake of these
criminal charges must be a nationally respected advocate for
whistleblower protection, and must have the integrity and courage to
challenge bureaucracy and defend whistleblowers.
We do not need another politically connected person to fill this
office; we need a hardened advocate who will change the culture of this
office. A new standard must be enforced, and never again should the OSC
be so disgraced.
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Tags: Action Alerts, Government Ethics
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