Whistleblower Week in Washington
Encyclopedia
Whistleblower Week in Washington is the name given to a series of events in Washington, D.C.
meant to raise awareness about whistleblowing
.
The first Whistleblower Week took place in Washington, D.C.
from May 13–19, 2007 and was sponsored by a loose coalition of whistleblower-related advocacy groups. The week was timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the May 15, 2002 enactment of the "Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002" (Public Law 107-174), now known as the No-FEAR Act
. During the week, whistleblowers and their allies gathered for awards ceremonies, speeches, panel discussions, and training sessions. The 2007 event was featured in the New York Times and announced in the Congressional Record
by Republican Senator Charles Grassley
of Iowa.
The second Whistleblower Week took place May 12–15, 2008 and was sponsored by the No Fear Coalition, the Semmelweis Society, and the Bill of Rights Foundation.
Notable attendees included:
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
meant to raise awareness about whistleblowing
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
.
The first Whistleblower Week took place in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from May 13–19, 2007 and was sponsored by a loose coalition of whistleblower-related advocacy groups. The week was timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the May 15, 2002 enactment of the "Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002" (Public Law 107-174), now known as the No-FEAR Act
No-FEAR Act
The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that seeks to discourage federal managers and supervisors from engaging in unlawful discrimination and retaliation...
. During the week, whistleblowers and their allies gathered for awards ceremonies, speeches, panel discussions, and training sessions. The 2007 event was featured in the New York Times and announced in the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
by Republican Senator Charles Grassley
Chuck Grassley
Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
of Iowa.
The second Whistleblower Week took place May 12–15, 2008 and was sponsored by the No Fear Coalition, the Semmelweis Society, and the Bill of Rights Foundation.
2007 participants
The first Whistleblower Week was organized by around fifty organizations and included a diverse group of participants, from a United States Senator to a 9-11 conspiracy theorist recruiting followers.Notable attendees included:
- Senator Charles Grassley, who received a lifetime achievement award for his fight against waste, fraud and corruption in government.
- Jeffrey WigandJeffrey WigandJeffrey S. Wigand is a former vice president of research and development at Brown & Williamson in Louisville, Kentucky, who worked on the development of reduced-harm cigarettes...
, a former tobacco executive who reported the industry's manipulation of nicotine levels in cigarettes and was featured in the movie The InsiderThe Insider (film)The Insider is a 1999 film based on the true story of a 60 Minutes television series segment, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand. The 60 Minutes story originally aired in November 1995 in an altered form because of objections by CBS’ then-owner, Laurence Tisch, who...
.
- Coleen RowleyColeen RowleyColeen Rowley is a former FBI agent and whistleblower, and was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota in 2006...
, who blew the whistle on the FBI's negligence preceding the September 11 terrorist attack. Ms. Rowley was named as one of Time Magazines Persons of the Year, along with conference supporter and EnronEnronEnron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
whistleblower Sherron WatkinsSherron WatkinsSherron Watkins was Vice President of Corporate Development at the Enron Corporation. She is considered by many to be the whistleblower who helped to uncover the Enron scandal in 2001....
. The FBI Oversight Panel was led by former FBI Special Agents Rowley and Mike German.
- Janet Howard, Joyce E. Megginson and Tanya Ward Jordan, members of the No FEAR Coalition and class agents who blew the whistle on race discrimination at the Department of Commerce. [Janet Howard, et. al. vs Department of Commerce]
- Bogdan DzakovicBogdan DzakovicBogdan Dzakovic is a 14-year veteran of the Security Division of the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. He started off his FAA career as a field agent and Federal Air Marshal, then served as a Team Leader in the Air Marshal program...
, former Federal Aviation Administration terrorism expert.
- Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, an EPA employee who won a racial and gender discrimination lawsuit after alleging that a United States company was exposing South African miners and their families to toxic levels of vanadiumVanadiumVanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery gray, ductile and malleable transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation. The element is found only in chemically combined form in nature...
.
- Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, of the Army Corps of Engineers. Greenhouse opposed the process that awarded government contracts to Halliburton, Inc., without counterbids.
- Stephen Kohn, who refers to his law office as the "National Whistleblower Center" and hosted a series of workshops to aid whistleblowers and their lawyers. Kohn reminded participants that they stand to gain monetarily from whistleblowing activities.
2008 participants
- Adam KokeshAdam KokeshAdam Charles Kokesh is an American activist and talk radio host. Kokesh was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and is a veteran of the Iraq War. He is an outspoken opponent of the U.S. military intervention in Iraq and has received media attention related to anti-war protest...
- Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr.
- Senator Charles Grassley
- Congresswoman Sheila Jackson LeeSheila Jackson LeeSheila Jackson Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. The district includes most of inner-city Houston. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
of Texas - Congressman James ClyburnJim ClyburnJames Enos "Jim" Clyburn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the Assistant Democratic Leader since 2011. He was previously House Majority Whip, serving in that post from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
of South Carolina