Courtesy of Flickr user cliff1066 Washington Post: Chief Strips Top D.C. Police Official of Command
Summary: A D.C. police commander who had publicly disagreed – over celebrity police escorts – with D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier at a City Council hearing has been demoted. The hearing came after a controversial police escort of Charlie Sheen. The chief felt this escort was not a legitimate use of the force, whereas the commander argued that the department had performed similar security work many times in the past. The commander believes his demotion is a result of his public argument.
Related Articles: WUSA 9, Washington Examiner
Electronic Frontier Foundation: Al-Jazeera Follows EFF’s Whistleblower Recommendations
Summary: The Al-Jazeera "Transparency Unit" is a WikiLeaks-esque site where whistleblowers are encouraged to come forward. Many of these sites have been popping up recently on news outlet web presences.
However, serious problems exist with this model, as noted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Specifically, Al-Jazeera "may disclose personally identifiable information about [sources] to third parties in limited circumstance[s]." While the site claims this disclosure comes into play "when we have a good faith belief it is required by law," the blog notes that the actual "Terms of Use" page "suggests there may be other circumstances in which Al-Jazeera may disclose information outside the law enforcement context."
The piece also notes that the Wall Street Journal version of WikiLeaks is worse, in that it allows for disclosure of information to "protect the property or rights of Dow Jones or any affiliated companies" or to "safeguard the interests of others."
Whistleblowers who reveal information to any of these sites (whether WikiLeaks, Al-Jazeera, or Wall Street Journal) are always themselves in danger of being revealed after the fact (like Bradley Manning), whether through their own actions or by the site. Simply put, prudent whistleblowers must take care to seek the help of whistleblower support groups, and legal counsel. GAP offers both of these.
Washington Post: China Says It's Cracking Down Amid Anger Over Tainted Food
Summary: This piece analyzes the many food scandals that have ravaged China, and the difficulty of enforcing regulations in the country despite major crackdowns.
GAP's Food Integrity Campaign recently blogged about China's new reward program for those who blow the whistle on food safety violations.
Key Quote: And just why are there so many food problems in China? The answers, expert said, are complex, involving China’s system of myriad tiny farms, tens of thousands of small food-processing factories scattered across this vast country, and a regulatory system in which enforcement is divided among as many as 13 government ministries and departments.
New Orleans Times-Picayune (Louisiana): Elevation Grant Workers Allege Corruption in Program
Summary: According to a whistleblower suit filed by two employees, Louisiana’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program officials have given jobs to specific contractors in return for gifts, sold confidential information for profit, and told employees to break rules to keep some companies “happy and quiet.”
Where's the Oversight? Food Animal Production Breeds Antibiotic Resistance
Summary: GAP's Food Integrity Campaign recently blogged about the renewed criticism of government inaction regarding antibiotic-resistant bacteria linked to drug use in food animal production.
Live Mint: Public Servant? Clarity Sought for New Law
Summary: There is a proposed whistleblower protection law in Indian Parliament. A parliamentary panel has asked the government to clarify the definition of a “public servant” for the purposes of this law. India currently has terrible protections for whistleblowers. Recently, the chief minister of an Indian state has been targeting whistleblowing cops.
ABS-CBN News (Philippines): Chopper Deal Whistleblower Unfazed by Mike Arroyo
Summary: Since news of the Philippines National Police purchase of second-hand helicopters has come out, an airline president has been called on to reveal his knowledge of the purchase. He says he refuses to be scared off by a former government official who has filed perjury charges against him.
Hannah Johnson is the Communications Fellow at the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection organization.
