• Whistleblower of the Week
Subscribe to Newsletter
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
  • Government
  • Legislation
  • False Claims
  • Corporate
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC
    • Sarbanes-Oxley
  • OSHA
  • Environment
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home Government

The VA’s Use of an Intelligence Community Program Intimidates Whistleblowers

October 26, 2020
in Breaking News, Government, News
Reading Time: 4min read
0
VA Whistleblowers
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

Allegations of a culture of intimidation towards whistleblowers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continue to arise. According to an October 22 Mother Jones article, the VA recently sent emails to employees warning of the dangers of whistleblowers and encouraging them to report suspected whistleblowers. This action seems to be yet another step in the Trump Administration’s “war on whistleblowers.”

Mother Jones reports that in September, the VA Insider Threat Program sent internal emails informing employees that it was “Insider Threat Awareness Month.” The email allegedly states: “The United States has been betrayed by people holding positions of trust. Arguably ‘insiders’ have caused more damage than trained foreign professional intelligence officers working on behalf of their respective governments. Not every suspicious circumstance or behavior represents a spy in our midst, but every situation needs to be examined to determine whether our nation’s security is at risk.” The email continues to explain examples of “suspicious” behavior and encourages employees to report any such behavior.

Insider Threat Programs are standard within U.S. agencies that deal with national security, such as the National Security Agency, the State Department, and the Department of Defense. However, this appears to be a new development within the VA. According to Mother Jones, “there have been concerns that Trump administration officials are abusing the programs in other federal agencies to intimidate would-be whistleblowers and prevent leaks to the media.”

While the email language is vague enough to not constitute direct threats against whistleblowers, some VA insiders see it as a clear attempt at intimidation. One anonymous VA whistleblower told Mother Jones that it is “terrifying that the VA, who is not a member of the US National Intelligence or national security community, is openly and brazenly—and probably unlawfully—using government intelligence resources against US citizens on US soil.”

At the beginning of his term, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) to improve the VA’s ability to hold employees accountable and enhance protections for whistleblowers. However, in practice, the OAWP has created an even more hostile environment for VA whistleblowers.

An October 2019 report released by the VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) details how the OAWP has failed to protect whistleblowers and has even targeted them. For example, the report details, “one troubling instance involved the OAWP initiating an investigation that could itself be considered retaliatory. At the request of a senior leader who had social ties to the OAWP Executive Director, the OAWP investigated a whistleblower who had a complaint pending against the senior leader. After a truncated investigation, the OAWP substantiated the allegations without even interviewing the whistleblower.” Additionally, the report states that “OAWP leaders made avoidable mistakes early in its development that created an office culture that was sometimes alienating to the very individuals it was meant to protect.”

On its own, the VA’s Insider Threat Program would be a troubling development for whistleblowers. However, given the recent history of whistleblower retaliation and intimidation within the VA, it is hard to argue against the Insider Threat Program being another deliberate attempt at whistleblower intimidation.

Read:

Trump’s VA Is Trying to Scare Off Whistleblowers During the Pandemic

Failures Implementing Aspects of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017

Protect Yourself: Purchase the New Whistleblower Handbook Protect Yourself: Purchase the New Whistleblower Handbook Protect Yourself: Purchase the New Whistleblower Handbook
Tags: Federal EmployeesWhistleblower ProtectionsWhistleblower Retaliation

Write a Letter to The Editor.

Most Popular

The Whistleblower Cases You Never Hear About

WNN Demands Documents About Lobbying Efforts to Secretary of Transportation

Breaking: Representative Connolly Introduces Bill to Reauthorize MSPB

SEC Awards Whistleblower Over $9.2 Million for Related Actions by DOJ

Whistleblower of the Week Podcast Episode One: Heidi Weber

Congress Should Demand Merrick Garland Commit to Fixing the DOJ’s Whistleblower Programs

Whistleblower Poll

Increased Whistleblower Protections
Legislation

Candidate’s Position on Increased Whistleblower Protections Influences 44% of Likely Voters

byAna Popovich
October 6, 2020

Protect Yourself: Buy the New Whistleblower Handbook Protect Yourself: Buy the New Whistleblower Handbook Protect Yourself: Buy the New Whistleblower Handbook
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

STAY INFORMED. Sign up for daily whistleblower email and social notifications from the Whistleblower Network News.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Qui Tam

  • Dodd-Frank
  • IRS & Tax
  • SEC
  • Foreign Corruption
  • False Claims-Qui Tam

Retaliation

  • OSHA
  • Sarbanes-Oxley

Government

  • Government
  • Intelligence
  • Legislation
  • Veterans

Features

  • Whistleblower of the Week
  • Editorial
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Opinion

Resources

  • FAQs
  • National Whistleblower Day
  • National Whistleblower Center
  • Whistleblower Handbook
Whistleblower Network News

Whistleblower Network News is an independent online newspaper providing our readers with up-to-date information on whistleblowing. Our goal is to be the best source of information on important qui tam, anti-corruption, compliance, and whistleblower law developments. 

Submit an Article
  • ABOUT
  • ADVERTISE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CAREERS
  • CONTACT

Copyright © 2021, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

This Newspaper/Web Site is made available by the lawyer or law firm publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Newspaper/Web Site publisher. The Newspaper/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

No Result
View All Result
  • Government
  • Legislation
  • False Claims
  • Corporate
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC
    • Sarbanes-Oxley
  • OSHA
  • Environment
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Login

Copyright © 2020, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
OR

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Go to mobile version