Government Accountability Project

During the last session of the 2009-2010 Congress, an undemocratic senatorial process known as a “secret hold” – a procedure that allows a lone senator to anonymously block legislation – was used to kill the popular Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA). In response to this action, GAP has worked with the NPR show On The Media to identify the senator who placed the secret hold, as well as to quickly reintroduce the legislation in Congress. This panel discusses exactly what happened to the bill, the campaign to find the secret senator, and how the WPEA would help to root out waste and benefit taxpayers by empowering whistleblowers to report fraud.

Guests include:

Tom Devine, Legal Director at the Government Accountability Project

Pete Sepp, Executive Vice President of the National Taxpayers Union

The interview segment features a highlight from our recent conference, Employee Rights and the Food Safety Modernization Act. Food safety whistleblower Kenneth Kendrick details his experience as a former Peanut Corporation of America assistant manager, when he tried to raise awareness about unsanitary conditions at a PCA plant months before the 2009 Salmonella/peanut butter outbreak was traced back to the company.