• Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
The Truth at Any Cost.
Qui Tam, Compliance and Anti-Corruption News.
SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
Whistleblower Network News
  • Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home Government

Attacks on civil servants make some wary of blowing the whistle.

Tinker ReadybyTinker Ready
December 23, 2019
in Government, News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Attacks on civil servants make some wary of blowing the whistle.
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

Two pieces of note for whistleblowers and their supporters from Government Executive.

One reported on a survey that posed this question, which was answered by nearly 700 federal workers.

Please complete the following sentence: “The attacks on the whistleblower by President Trump and various Congressional Republicans have made it ________ likely that I will report an act of perceived wrongdoing to the appropriate authorities.”

Support Whistleblower Network News

Nearly 35 percent said “much less” or “somewhat less.” A full half said the attacks would not change their behavior.

Another piece reports on an attempt to protect those who do blow the whistle by adding a provision to the defense spending bill. It would have allowed the Office of Special Counsel to request a 45-day stay on a personnel action. The board hears appeals of lower level personnel decisions, including whistleblower cases. It has not had a quorum since just before President Trump took office. So, cases before the panel are stalled, with a backlog of over 2,000.

The House provision would have allowed MSPB’s general counsel—currently Tristan Leavitt, who is also serving as the agency’s executive director—to order a 45-day stay of any personnel action that he believed was a prohibited personnel action, including whistleblower reprisal. The Senate version of the bill did not include the provision, and the House conceded.

All this is happening as Trump allies continue to demonize government workers as part of a “deep state” conspiracy theory. How deep is it? The survey found that 37 percent of employees approve of Trump, compared to 55 percent who disapprove. Not hugely different from Trump’s 40-ish percent approval rating.

While Brietbart and Fox New pundits trumpet the deep state theory, Government Executive and several other publications have explored the effort to politicize civil service.

As the Trump era has unfolded, the term “deep state” has come to mean something sinister to some on the far right. More than just signifying an impersonal, inept bureaucracy, it conjures a secretive illuminati of bureaucrats determined to sabotage the Trump agenda…

Chris Lu, President Obama’s deputy Labor secretary, rejects the notion that some entrenched deep state is undermining Trump’s political appointees. “The politicals set the direction of the agency, but they can only do it effectively if they tap into the expertise of the federal civil service,” he said.

The New York Times story about the parade of civil servants marching up to Capitol Hill featured this headline: Trump’s War on the ‘Deep State’ Turns Against Him

The House impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump’s efforts to force Ukraine to investigate Democrats is the climax of a 33-month scorched-earth struggle between a president with no record of public service and the government he inherited but never trusted. If Mr. Trump is impeached by the House, it will be in part because of some of the same career professionals he has derided as “absolute scum” or compared to Nazis.

More on the topic below:

The New Yorker: Trump vs. the “Deep State”

Wired: So Much for the Deep State Plot Against Donald Trump

The Washington Post: There is no ‘deep state’ — but maybe there should be

Tags: Federal Employee WhistleblowersFederal Employees
Previous Post

Opinion: When your medical bill amounts to fraud

Next Post

Russian anti-doping whistleblowers seek refuge

Tinker Ready

Tinker Ready

In 2019, Tinker Ready was the editor-in-chief of the Whistleblower Protection Blog.  She has worked with whistleblowers throughout her career as a journalist and investigative reporter.  

Next Post
Russian anti-doping whistleblowers seek refuge

Russian anti-doping whistleblowers seek refuge

Please login to join discussion

Receive Daily Alerts

Subscribe to receive daily breaking news and legislative developments sent to your inbox.

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

Most Popular

U.S. and UK Advocates Come Together for Whistleblowing Awareness Week

“We want to dispel the stigma.” — Discussing the 1st Whistleblowing Awareness Week with Georgina Halford-Hall and Stephen Kohn

Tell President Biden to “Finish the Job” for Whistleblowers

Change the Culture, Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen SEC Whistleblower Program

Ontario Securities Commission Highlights Success of Whistleblower Award Program

Whistleblower Poll

Whistleblower Poll
Whistleblower Poll

Exclusive Marist Poll: Overwhelming Public Support Among Likely Voters For Increased Whistleblower Protections

byGeoff Schweller
October 6, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

STAY INFORMED.
Subscribe to receive breaking whistleblower updates.

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

About Us

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Careers

Subscribe

  • Daily Mail
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • YouTube Channel

Contribute

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Reprint Guidelines

Your Experience

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Help

  • The Whistleblowers Handbook
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Advertise
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

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

This Newspaper/Web Site is made available by the 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.

SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Exclusives
  • Government
    • False Claims-Qui Tam
    • Federal Employees
    • Intelligence
  • Corporate
    • CFTC & Commodities
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC & Securities
  • Features
  • Legislation
  • International
    • Foreign Corruption
  • Rewards
  • Whistleblower of the Week
  • Environment & Climate
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Employment
    • Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers
    • Retaliation
    • OSHA
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • National Whistleblower Day
  • Whistleblower Poll
  • Whistleblower Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Locating An Attorney
    • The New Whistleblowers Handbook
  • National Whistleblower Day ’23

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

Become a Whistleblower Network News Subscriber

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Subscribe to WNN

Retrieve your password

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

Subscribe to WNN

Add New Playlist

Go to mobile version