Maria Aran is the chief of staff for the Miami district of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a part of the Department of Homeland Security. When she discovered that a sub-office had mishandled hundreds of sensitive documents, she made a report for the agency’s security office. When she sent that report, she inadvertently also sent it to 300 agency officials around the country. (Anyone else ever get surprised that an email was sent by "reply-all"?) Soon thereafter, Aran’s bosses wanted to involuntarily transfer her to another agency. Aran complained to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) which requested an emergency stay of the transfer. The Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) granted that stay for 45 days. Andrew Becker of the Center for Investigative Reporting writes in today’s Washington Post (p. B-3) that OSC is nearing the end of its 45-day investigative period. MSPB stays to protect whistleblowers were unheard of during the prior administration. While we appreciate this stay, we also long for President Obama to appoint a permanent Special Counsel who will have the support and staffing to seek more protections for whistleblowers.
OSC report due for immigration official protected by MSPB stay
- WNN Staff
- Categories: News
- Tags: MSPBNational SecurityOffice of Special Counsel
Related Content
Boston University Panel Features Theranos Whistleblower, Leading Whistleblower Attorney
By
Grace Schepis
May 2, 2023
Media Kit for National Whistleblower Day Kit Now Live; Supporters Encouraged to Share
By
Ana Popovich
April 13, 2023
National Whistleblower Center Publishes Annual Report, Highlights Legislative and Outreach Work
By
Ana Popovich
November 30, 2022
In Memoriam: Corinne M. Kohn
By
Mary Jane Wilmoth
August 14, 2022