The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) leads efforts to educate the public and advocate for better whistleblower policies. In 2025, this Washington, DC group responded to rising threats against whistleblowers in the U.S. and around the world, pushing for changes in government and business. Through legislative work, public education, and grassroots advocacy, NWC aimed to make sure people who report wrongdoing are protected, informed, and empowered to act in the public good.
Whistleblower laws are under pressure from outdated statutes, emerging technologies, and under-resourced enforcement regimes. NWC’s work throughout the year emphasized a central theme: whistleblower protections are only effective when they are accessible, enforceable, and understood.
Educating Whistleblowers and Civil Society
Public education was a key part of NWC’s work in 2025. Early in the year, NWC offered a free webinar called “Knowing Your Rights as a Federal Employee: Effectively Using the Privacy Act.” This session was for federal employees and contractors who might face retaliation. It explained how the Privacy Act helps people access records, protect their privacy, and address improper disclosures, issues that whistleblowers often face.
NWC co-founders Stephen M. Kohn and David Colapinto led the session, showing the group’s commitment to making legal protections easier to understand. For federal employees in sensitive or political positions, the webinar stressed the importance of knowing your rights before facing retaliation.
NWC also expanded its reach with the Whistleblower of the Week podcast. In 2025, the podcast covered topics such as the effects of pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the global impact of a weaker U.S. anti-corruption leadership, and reform efforts in the UK. By combining legal analysis with real whistleblower stories, the podcast made these issues easier to understand for both the public and policymakers.
Safeguarding the CFTC Whistleblower Program
In 2025, NWC worked to support the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Whistleblower Program, which faced another funding crisis early in the year. In March, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution that provided emergency funding and kept the program running after a temporary fix expired.
The crisis happened because of a problem that has existed since the program began in 2010. Congress set a $100 million cap on the fund for whistleblower awards and the Whistleblower Office, even though all the money comes from penalties paid by wrongdoers. Any money above this limit goes to the U.S. Treasury’s general fund.
As a result, the program became a “victim of its own success.” Since it started, the CFTC Whistleblower Program has helped recover over $3.2 billion from fraudsters and paid more than $390 million to whistleblowers. The CFTC reports that about 42 percent of its enforcement actions involve whistleblowers.
“This step by Congress has saved the CFTC Whistleblower Program, which was in danger of becoming a victim of its own success,” said Stephen M. Kohn, who has long advocated for reforms and serves as Chairman of the Board of the National Whistleblower Center. “But the cap placed on the fund is not compatible with the growth of the program and must be addressed.”
NWC used the emergency extension as an opportunity to inform lawmakers and the public about the need for a permanent solution. The group sent out action alerts supporting the bipartisan CFTC Whistleblower Fund Improvement Act, which would raise the cap to $300 million and create a permanent fund for the Whistleblower Office. NWC warned that without these changes, large awards could again threaten the program.
Strengthening the IRS Whistleblower Program
NWC also worked hard to push for changes to the IRS Whistleblower Program. Since 2006, the program has collected over $6 billion from tax fraudsters, but award payouts have decreased, and delays have increased.
In June, NWC sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, urging lawmakers to include parts of the bipartisan IRS Whistleblower Improvement Act in the budget reconciliation bill. Advocates have long said that technical updates are needed to improve the program, reduce delays, and encourage more people to speak up.
“These reforms would increase the IRS’s ability to recover unpaid taxes in one of the most cost-effective enforcement tools available,” the letter stated, emphasizing the program’s deterrent value.
Dean Zerbe, Senior Policy Analyst at NWC and a key founder of the IRS Whistleblower Office, spoke about the need for reform on a 2025 podcast. NWC combined advocacy with public education, helping potential whistleblowers find resources about the risks of speaking up and the importance of getting legal advice.
Closing the Aviation Safety Whistleblower Loophole
Following news reports on aviation safety failures and whistleblower retaliation, NWC launched a campaign to address a major loophole in the Aviation Investment and Reform Act (AIR21). Due to a drafting mistake, courts cannot enforce preliminary reinstatement orders for aviation whistleblowers, so companies can ignore them without facing consequences.
NWC warned that this loophole hurts individual whistleblowers and puts public safety at risk by discouraging employees from reporting unsafe practices. The problem is even worse because OSHA does not have enough resources, so aviation whistleblower complaints often take too long to resolve.
NWC called for a clear change in the law to restore enforceable reinstatement protections and for executive action to make sure OSHA meets investigation deadlines. Through this campaign, NWC showed that protecting aviation whistleblowers is important for both public safety and workplace fairness.
Leading the Charge on AI Whistleblower Protections
As artificial intelligence technologies expand rapidly, so do concerns about transparency, bias, and safety risks. Recognizing these emerging challenges, NWC has taken a leadership role in advocating for the AI Whistleblower Protection Act. This landmark legislation aims to protect whistleblowers who expose misconduct, errors, or dangers associated with AI systems, promoting responsible development and deployment of AI while safeguarding public interest.
NWC warned that employees inside the industry are often the only ones positioned to expose security risks, unethical practices, and threats to national security. In May, the organization threw its support behind the AI Whistleblower Protection Act, educating lawmakers and the public about the absence of clear anti-retaliation safeguards in the sector. The issue of AI whistleblower protection was featured during the NWC’s National Whistleblower Day program in July.
This advocacy made a difference in the fall, when NWC helped lead a coalition to remove a federal preemption clause from the National Defense Authorization Act. This clause would have taken away states’ ability to protect AI whistleblowers. While NWC celebrated this win, the group stressed that education and advocacy must continue until full federal protections are in place.
Advocating for Federal Employee Whistleblowers
Protecting federal employees was a top priority in 2025. Even though they help reveal government waste, fraud, and abuse, federal whistleblowers still cannot take retaliation claims to federal court if agencies fail to act.
NWC continued to push for the Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act, arguing that true accountability requires independent court review. Through action alerts and public statements, NWC emphasized that when agencies do nothing, whistleblowers are left vulnerable to retaliation and important information remains hidden.
“Federal whistleblowers are indispensable to safeguarding our democracy,” NWC argued, framing the issue as a systemic failure rather than an individual grievance.
Legal Advocacy and Landmark Cases
NWC filed or joined multiple amicus briefs to defend whistleblower rights and agency independence:
- Lissack v. IRS – Clarified that whistleblowers can access court review of their claims.
- Hampton Dellinger Case – Defended the independence of the Office of Special Counsel.
- Trump v. Slaughter – Urged the Supreme Court to uphold Congress’s authority to protect whistleblowers from political interference.
Even when cases were not fully successful, NWC’s participation shaped legal standards and protected whistleblowers’ long-term interests.
Celebrating National Whistleblower Day
Every year on July 30, National Whistleblower Day honors people who expose corruption, fraud, and abuse, often at great personal risk. In 2025, the National Whistleblower Center held a successful event on Capitol Hill, bringing together whistleblowers, policymakers, legal experts, and advocates. The event featured moving stories from whistleblowers and highlighted the need for stronger protections and support. This gathering raised awareness among lawmakers and the public, helping build momentum for important legislative reforms.
The event’s success shows NWC’s leadership in advancing whistleblower rights and reflects growing bipartisan support for the important role whistleblowers play in protecting democracy and public integrity.
Education and Advocacy on a Global Stage
In 2025, NWC expanded its education and advocacy work beyond the United States, working with policymakers, civil society leaders, and international organizations at key global events.
In March, NWC took part in the OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum in Paris, hosting and joining discussions about the growing crisis in international anti-corruption enforcement and the key role whistleblowers play in exposing bribery, money laundering, and global fraud. NWC leaders warned that weaker U.S. enforcement, including the pause in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigations, could create a global accountability gap unless other democracies strengthen their own whistleblower protections.
That same month, NWC hosted an international discussion at the Hague Humanity Hub, where whistleblower protection was viewed through the lens of human rights, humanitarian accountability, and environmental justice. The event brought together legal experts, anti-corruption professionals, and civil society groups to discuss how to better protect whistleblowers in fragile and high-risk places, including conflict zones and authoritarian countries. NWC shared best practices from U.S. whistleblower reward and protection programs and stressed the importance of anonymity, financial rewards, and legal safeguards to encourage disclosures worldwide.
In July, NWC representatives traveled to London to participate in UK Whistleblowing Awareness Week. The event, organized by Whistleblowers UK and sponsored by The Rt Hon. Baroness Susan Kramer, brought together global leaders, legal experts, whistleblowers, and policy makers to explore the future of whistleblowing in the UK and beyond.
In October, NWC helped support three major resolutions at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress. These resolutions clearly recognized the need to protect and support whistleblowers and environmental defenders. Governments, NGOs, and Indigenous Peoples’ organizations strongly supported these measures.
The year ended in Doha, Qatar, where NWC took part in the 11th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (CoSP11) and hosted a side event on supporting whistleblowers in international cases. The session included legal education and discussed the psychological and financial challenges whistleblowers face, highlighting the need for compensation and support.
Looking Forward
By the end of 2025, the National Whistleblower Center was at the heart of major accountability debates in the U.S. and around the world. As whistleblower protections came under increasing pressure from outdated laws, weak enforcement, and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, NWC kept repeating one message: laws only work if whistleblowers can use them safely.
Looking forward, NWC plans to keep pushing for new laws, steady funding for whistleblower programs, and new protections for fast-changing technologies. The group has made it clear that education and public engagement will remain at the center of its work, especially as whistleblowers face more high-risk, technical situations.
As debates about accountability and transparency continue into next year, NWC’s work highlights an important truth: whistleblowers remain the most effective tool for uncovering fraud, corruption, and threats to public safety, as long as the systems meant to protect them actually work.
Support NWC today to help protect those who risk everything to speak the truth.
Visit www.whistleblowers.org to make a donation.
