Stop Whistleblower Surveillance
Washington, D.C. July 14, 2012. Today, the New York Times released a groundbreaking story on the government's secret spying program on a group of whistleblowers employed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Stephen M. Kohn, the Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center and the lead attorney for the FDA whistleblowers, issued the following statement:
We hope that the revelations in today's New York Times will
mark a turning point in the battle to stop the retaliatory surveillance
of whistleblowers who risk their careers to report misconduct.
The spying program revealed in today's New York Times
article was illegal. The story demonstrated how government mangers used a
covert spying program to interfere with the ability of federal
employees to lawfully report significant threats to the public safety to
Congress, law enforcement officials and the American people. We hope
that these public disclosures will mark the beginning of the end of
government spying on employees who report misconduct to the appropriate
authorities.
It is well established that American citizens do not forgo their
First or Fourth Amendment Constitutional rights when they work for the
government. The opposite is true. The U.S. Supreme Court and numerous
lower courts have recognized the importance of protecting government
workers who expose wrongdoing. These protections are vital to a
democratic society. Government whistleblowers are often the most
important source of information exposing government misconduct,
corruption and the waste of taxpayer money.
The conduct by FDA managers, designed to undermine a group of
doctors and scientists who reported significant health and safety
violations, is deplorable. Those involved must be held accountable.
To schedule an interview with Stephen Kohn contact Lindsey Williams at lmw@whistleblowers.org.
Links:
New York Times Story (Sunday, July 15, 2012)(available now on-line)
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