Washington Post: Under Carolyn Lerner, Special Counsel Office is Doing Its Job Now, Observers Say
Summary: Yesterday, the Office of Special Counsel honored the Dover Air Force Base mortuary whistleblowers who brought to light the mismanagement of soldiers’ remains. They were given the Public Servant of the Year Award by Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner.
Since Lerner took over the office under President Obama, it has gone from being known as an agency that failed at its job to “pointedly taking on the mighty Pentagon and winning.” Whistleblower advocates have definitely noticed – and appreciated – the change.
Key Quote: Tom Devine, legal director of the Government Accountability Project: “It’s like switching from night to day.”
Related Article: The News-Journal (DE)
International Business Times: WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Rejects Police Order to Surrender
Summary: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not answer the police summons he received yesterday as part of his extradition process. Assange has been staying at the Ecuadorian embassy for the past 10 days while waiting for a decision on his bid for political asylum.
Summary: More coverage of the UN whistleblower who was recently vindicated by the UN Dispute Tribunal. The Tribunal ruled that the Ethics Office had failed to protect him as a whistleblower when he reported concerns about corruption among top officials in the UN Kosovo operation.
Forbes: Will IRS Whistleblower Program Start Picking Up Steam?
Summary: Now that the IRS has pledged to review its whistleblower program in an effort to make it more effective, this author argues that, if this review yields changes, the program could gain momentum.
WBAI (NY): Five O’Clock Shadow
Summary: NSA whistleblower and GAP client Thomas Drake appeared on the Five O’Clock Shadow show to talk about his own whistleblowing experiences, as well as Julian Assange’s bid for political asylum and what he could face if ever extradited to the US. (Note that you must press ‘play’ for the June 28 show.)
The Age (Australia): Weightlifting Whistleblower Sacked
Summary: The whistleblower who revealed allegations that an Australian weightlifter had refused to compete unless he was given $5,000 was let go as the country’s Olympic weightlifting coach just a month before the games.
Hannah Johnson is Communications Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.
