Washington, D.C. February 17, 2010. Today, the National Whistleblowers Center released evidence regarding the case of UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld , which demonstrates his heroic efforts to expose tax fraud. Attached to the fact sheet prepared by the NWC are scanned original documents related to the illegal UBS tax scandal. “The record shows the Department of Justice’s decision to prosecute Mr. Birkenfeld is a farce to say the very least,” said Stephen M. Kohn, Executive Director of the National Whistleblowers Center and co-counsel for Mr. Birkenfeld.
The evidence includes the original internal e-mails Mr. Birkenfeld sent to his superiors raising concerns and his original internal whistleblower complaint. Also included are letters from U.S. government agencies, which acknowledge Mr. Birkenfeld’s disclosures as essential to the case against UBS.
In spite of his documented efforts to report the fraud, stand up to his employers and work with government investigations, Mr. Birkenfeld is currently in federal prison. He is the only banker associated with the illegal UBS program to receive a prison sentence.
“Mr. Birkenfeld’s sentence sends a chilling message to any international banker who may be considering coming forward and bringing similar information to the government,” said Lindsey M. Williams, Director of Advocacy and Development at the National Whistleblowers Center.
