Merit Systems Protection Board grants indefinite stay of termination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON – The Government Accountability Project today expressed appreciation for action by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) that indefinitely “stays,” or suspends the termination of Department of Interior Regional Environmental Officer Jeffrey Missal. The agency has been attempting to fire Mr. Missal since January 2016, in reprisal for refusing to participate in, and blowing the whistle on, violations of the National Environmental Policy Act. Mr. Missal had challenged permission for offshore oil exploration and drilling before the completion of legally mandated environmental impact reviews.

The new MSPB action is in response to the August 23, 2018 corrective action and stay petitions filed by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the federal agency responsible for defending the merit system and whistleblowers in particular. The OSC charged that Mr. Missal’s termination violated the Whistleblower Protection Act and intervened in order to enforce the merit system. The indefinite stay follows nine 45 day stays that the MSPB has issued over the last year while the OSC completed its work and sought voluntary agency compliance.

Mr. Missal expressed gratitude for the OSC’s latest success. “I’d like to extend my deepest appreciation to Special Counsel Henry Kerner for his continued support in seeking, and obtaining an indefinite stay on my behalf. I feel as though my life is actually beginning to return to normal…so much so that Friday night felt like the first sound and restful sleep I’ve experienced in over four years.”

Mr. Missal’s attorney, Government Accountability Project Legal Director Tom Devine, added, “Mr. Missal nearly was ruined for refusing to violate the law. He was without income, health insurance, and on the verge of losing his home. The wolf was at his door. Thanks to the Office of Special Counsel, the wolf is back in the woods for the indefinite future. The Special Counsel is making a real difference in this case, both for the merit system and a deserving whistleblower.”

Contact: Andrew Harman, Government Accountability Project Communications Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-457-0034 ext. 156

Government Accountability Project

The Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.

###
Author:
Staff