Washington Post: ACLU Throws Support Behind State Department Whistleblower
Summary: More coverage of the ACLU’s support of State Department whistleblower and GAP client Peter Van Buren. Van Buren wrote a book and maintains a blog critical of the department’s reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The ACLU sent a letter to the department last week, saying the agency would violate Van Buren’s constitutional rights by firing him.
Salon: WH Leaks for Propaganda Film
Summary: While the Obama administration attempts to prosecute an unprecedented number of intelligence whistleblowers under the Espionage Act, it is content to leak intelligence regarding the Osama bin Laden raid to Hollywood filmmakers.
Key Quote: But there’s one type of leak of classified information that the White House not only approves of but itself routinely exploits: the type that glorifies the President for propagandistic ends. The transparency group Judicial Watch brought FOIA lawsuits against the administration seeking information regarding the Osama bin Laden raid, but the administration insisted in federal court that the operation is secret and thus not subject to disclosure (even as they were leaking details about the raid to the press).
RT: Extradition Showdown – UK Supreme Court to Rule on Assange
Summary: Next week, the UK Supreme Court is set to rule on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden, where he faces questions on sexual assault allegations.
Related Article: ABC News (Australia)
Grassley Honored as Whistleblower Champion, Encourages Issa to Make WPEA a Reality
Summary: This year’s Whistleblower Summit: Civil & Human Rights Conference happened this week Monday-Wednesday. Whistleblower champion Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) kicked off the event by praising these unsung heroes and urging passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act. GAP Legislative Coordinator Shanna Devine has more.
Village Voice: SEEDCO, Nonprofit Bloomberg Admin Fave, Slapped By Feds with Fraud Lawsuit
Summary: Federal prosecutors have filed suit against SEEDCO, a nonprofit supposedly dedicated to job placement in New York City, for defrauding the government out of millions of dollars in funding without providing much service. The fraud was first reported by a whistleblower and the organization attempted to cover it up.
Hannah Johnson is Communications Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.
