On September 24, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced he will be running for re-election to Congress. He has previously been referred to as the “patron saint” of whistleblowers, continually championing whistleblower legislation in Congress.
“It’s 4 a.m. in Iowa so I’m running. I do that 6 days a week. Before I start the day I want you to know what Barbara and I have decided,” Grassley’s tweet begins. “I’m running for re-election—a lot more to do, for Iowa. We ask and will work for your support. Will you join us? #GrassleyRuns #GrassleyWorks.”
In a subsequent tweet, Grassley states: “With your help, we can take back control of Congress in 2022. This election is about stopping socialism and saving freedom.” He also posted a short video: standing in front of a sunrise, he addresses the viewer and says, “Hey there! I’m running for re-election. It’s the right thing to do for Iowa.”
Grassley has already received endorsements on Twitter from Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA). According to a tweet by investigative reporter David Amelotti from Iowa’s News Now, Grassley “will be all over eastern Iowa today to meet with residents.”
Grassley has served as a senator since 1981. Throughout his career, he has shown a strong commitment to whistleblower issues and has made several contributions to whistleblower legislation. In February of 2015, Grassley co-founded the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, where he currently serves as Chair.
Since 2013, Grassley has also been instrumental in introducing yearly resolutions to the Senate designating July 30 as National Whistleblower Day; most recently, he passed the 2021 resolution to honor whistleblowers on July 30 for National Whistleblower Day. Grassley was also involved in working on the 1986 amendments to the False Claims Act, which provided stronger rewards for whistleblowers who come forward with disclosures. Furthermore, he introduced legislation in 2006 which modernized the IRS Whistleblower Program.
In July, President Biden signed Grassley’s CFTC Fund Management Act into law. The Act saved the CFTC’s whistleblower reward program from a financial collapse. Grassley also recently introduced the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act. The bill is widely supported by whistleblower advocates.
At past National Whistleblower Day celebrations, Grassley has delivered speeches, including at the 2021 event. He also spoke in a July 2021 interview with FBI whistleblower and WNN reporter Jane Turner for National Whistleblower Day 2021. In the interview, Grassley spoke about his personal life and career in civil service as well as his history of advocating for whistleblowers.
