Corporate Accountability
GAP's Corporate Accountability program aims to hold businesses accountable by defending whistleblowers, publicizing wrongdoing and advocating for reform. The passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Corporate Accountability Act) provides comprehensive whistleblower protections for all employees of publicly-traded companies. GAP's program activities include:
- Conducting public education and outreach about the new law
- Defending corporate whistleblowers at the Department of Labor and in federal courts to shape the interpretations of the new law for the courts and public opinion
- Investigating substantive allegations of corporate wrongdoing
- Promoting corporate codes of conduct and other needed reforms within certain industries and specific companies
- Advocating for further refinements of the new law and promote its expansion to cover employees of privately-held companies
- Challenging overreaching corporate influence on government regulation of business practices as well as fraud on government contracts
Program Highlight: GAP Evaluates International Chamber of Commerce Guidelines on Whistleblowing
November 18, 2008 – The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has released Guidelines on Whistleblowing, which are meant to serve as a model for companies throughout the world in developing and implementing whistleblowing programs. Because these standards could play an important role in the international business community, GAP has evaluated them. GAP found that although the Guidelines draw attention to the important role that whistleblowing systems can play in exposing fraud and could help raise the bar for corporate whistleblowing systems throughout the world, they are merely a preliminary sketch for what an effective whistleblower policy means. Even in broad brush terms, the Guidelines only attempt to seriously address 8 out of 20 best practice standards for a credible policy.
Click here to read GAP’s critique of the ICC’s Guidelines on Whistleblowing
Program Highlight: GAP Report Calls for Overhaul of Corporate Whistleblower Laws
September 10, 2008 - Today, GAP released a new report, Running the Gauntlet: The Campaign for Credible Corporate Whistleblower Rights. This report surveys the dangerous landscape of corporate whistleblower laws, and recommends strategies for corporate whistleblowers to best protect themselves from future retaliation.
Click here for GAP's press release
Click here for the report
Program Highlight: GAP Releases Corporate Whistleblower Report
September 10, 2008 -- Today, GAP released a new report, Running the Gauntlet: The Campaign for Credible Corporate Whistleblower Rights. This report surveys the dangerous landscape of corporate whistleblower laws, and recommends strategies for corporate whistleblowers to best protect themselves from future retaliation.
Click here for GAP's press release
Click here for the report
Program Highlight: Bush Signs Consumer Protection Bill; Expanding Whistleblower Rights
August 14, 2008 -- Earlier today, President Bush signed the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, enacting law that protects American consumers by, among other ways, providing whistleblower rights to nearly 20 million workers. The legislation provides protections, enforceable by jury trials, to workers connected with the manufacture, distribution, and retail sale of products ranging from toys to clothes, linens, car seats, hardware and household appliances.
The legislation responds to last fall’s “killer toys” controversy sparked by discoveries of excessive lead in dolls and other common products. The reform significantly tightens safety standards. Its enforcement cornerstone is thorough “best practices” whistleblower protection for employees who refuse to violate the law or who challenge product safety violations.
Since last October, GAP has led a coalition that swelled to 102 organizations demanding whistleblower rights in this reform.
Program Highlight: Congress Guarantees Widespread Whistleblower Rights in CPSC Reform
July 30, 2008 -- GAP applauds Senate and House leaders for reaching conference committee agreement on major consumer product safety legislation just approved by the House this evening, in a 424-1 vote. The legislation provides whistleblower rights, enforceable by jury trials, to an estimated twenty million private sector workers connected with the manufacture, distribution, and retail sale of products ranging from toys to clothes, linens, car seats, hardware and household appliances.
Click here to read GAP's press release
One corporate accountability case that GAP was previously involved with was that of Mark Livingston vs. Wyeth Pharmaceutical.
Below, please find documents relating to our corporate accountability program. We are in the process of upgarding our Web site, and will feature more indepth information in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience.
Senate Testimony of GAP Legal Director Tom Devine on Corporate Whistleblower Protection
Press Statement of Tom Devine on Corporate Accountability Act
Meet President and Corporate Accountability Director Louis Clark
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