Deutsche Bank headquarters in Frankfurt, GermanyFinancial Times: Deutsche Hid Up to $12Bn Losses, Say Staff
Summary: This explosive front-page article, along with a lengthy companion piece, details allegations of multi-billion-dollar fraud at Deutsche Bank. Three bank whistleblowers – including GAP client Eric Ben-Artzi – allege that the company's "trades were valued in a way that hid billions in losses." The piece is making major waves across the financial world.
Key Quote: But the three former employees told the SEC that this outcome does not mean the allegations should be forgotten. “If Lehman Brothers didn’t have to mark its books for six months it might still be in business,” says one of the men. “And if Deutsche had marked its books it might have been in the same position as Lehman.”
Related Article: Corporate Crime Reporter
Food Safety News: FDA Sued for Withholding Data on Food Animal Antibiotics
Summary: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unlawfully withheld data regarding the sale of antibiotics for use in food animals, according to a GAP lawsuit filed yesterday against the agency.
Key Quote: This lawsuit comes after FDA failed to respond “properly” to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by GAP. The group sought data concerning the amount of antibiotics sold for use in food animals in 2009, classified by animal type and dosage information.
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“The FDA frequently claims that documents sought through the FOIA process contain ‘confidential commercial information,’” said Jeff Gulley, who serves as Counsel to the group. “When tested in court, however, these claims frequently don’t hold up. This response by FDA is a violation of FOIA and a wrongful withholding of agency records.”
Related Articles: The Inquisitr, Center for a Livable Future
The New York Times: The Times Should Have a Reporter at the Bradley Manning Hearing
Summary: In a New York Times blog post, public editor Margaret Sullivan criticizes the paper for not thoroughly covering the Bradley Manning pretrial hearing this and last week. The only coverage from the Times was an Associated Press story last Friday. GAP National Security & Human Rights Director Jesselyn Radack has repeatedly called out the mainstream media for its failure to cover Manning’s case earlier this week. Manning, who is charged with giving classified information to WikiLeaks, faces life in prison if convicted.
Recently, Manning’s lawyer accused President Obama of hypocrisy for his recent signing of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) while continuing with his unprecedented prosecutions against intelligence whistleblowers.
Key Quote: Obama put his signature on a new law designed to stiffen protections for whistleblowers on Nov. 27. "As President Obama was signing this bill into law, Brad and I were in a courtroom," Manning's defense attorney, David E. Coombs, said Monday at the All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, D.C., in his first public appearance since taking the case more than two years ago. "How can you reconcile the two? I don't know the answer to that question."
Huffington Post Live: Blaming the Messenger
Summary: GAP Legal Director Tom Devine appeared on a Huffington Post Live discussion yesterday to talk about the recent passage of the WPEA. The bill will significantly strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees.
How the Defense Department Inspectors Failed Bradley Manning
Summary: GAP National Security & Human Rights Director Jesselyn Radack calls out the Department of Defense for failing to properly investigate Bradley Manning’s confinement conditions in a blog post this morning.
Hannah Johnson is Communications Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.
