Kentucky.com: Kentucky Officials Seek to Punish Miner Who Reported Safety Violations
A miner in Kentucky who exposed dangerous practices at an underground coal mine – leading to the conviction of the company and supervisors responsible – now faces a complaint against him for taking part in the dangerous activities he reported. The miner's attorney says the state regulators who filed the complaint "are trying to punish the whistleblower."
Related Article: WFPL
New Zealand Times: Hard Row to Hoe If You Blow the Whistle
This article illustrates the risks involved in blowing the whistle on government wrongdoing, recapping the experience of Bradley Manning, whose trial has been suspended while the judge decides whether his treatment before trial was a denial of due process rights. GAP clients Eric Ben-Artzi – who blew the whistle on shareholder fraud at Deutsche Bank – as well as Tom Drake and John Kiriakou were also mentioned.
Key Quote: "It's always extremely dangerous to challenge abuses of power," says [GAP Legal Director Tom] Devine.
"Those who abuse power have the weapons to smash those who threaten them. Blowing the whistle will always be a life crossroads choice, and likely the most dangerous, high-risk decision of any person's life. That's not going to change just because we get legal rights."
Related Article: City Watch
The New York Times: Amgen Agrees to Pay $762 Million for Marketing Anemia Drug for Off-Label Use
Drug company Amgen pled guilty yesterday to marketing its anemia drug Aranesp for uses unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration, even after the agency explicitly ruled them out. Amgen has agreed to pay $762 million in criminal penalties and settlements of whistleblower lawsuits.
The Ledger: Research Center Whistleblower Settles with UF
A former University of Florida (UF) computer technician, who was allegedly fired for blowing the whistle on intellectual property theft by UF's research center director, has reluctantly accepted a settlement of his whistleblower complaint. The terms have not been disclosed.
Patch: Gaithersburg Council Unanimously Approves Whistleblower Ordinance
This week, the Gaithersburg, Maryland City Council unanimously passed a whistleblower ordinance, designed to reassure citizens and city employees that they will be protected from retaliation for in-good-faith reporting of improper or illegal activities by city officials.
Sarah Damian is New Media Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower protection and advocacy organization.
