Federal Whistleblower Protection Law Archives

Congress Strengthens Whistleblower Protections for Federal Employees

Yesterday President Trump signed into law Follow the Rules Act, which prohibits an agency from taking a personnel action against an employee for refusing an order that would require the employee violate a law, rule or regulation. The Act overturns the Federal Circuit’s 2016 decision in Rainey v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 2016 WL 3165617 (Fed. Cir. June … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Quoted About Comey’s Leak to the Press

An article in the Washington Examiner titled Is James Comey in trouble for ‘leaking’ his own notes? quotes whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman about whether Mr. Comey’s disclosures to The New York Times could land him in hot water. The article notes that leaking government information can be punishable under the Espionage Act and other laws … Continued

Whistleblower Attorney Chairing CLE on Whistleblower Rights of Private Sector Employees

Washington DC Whistleblower attorney Jason Zuckerman is chairing a DC Bar CLE on the whistleblower rights of private sector employees on May 16, 2017 from 5:30 pm to 8:45 pm. To register, click here. Don’t miss this chance to catch up on recent developments under whistleblower reward and whistleblower protection laws, including developments under the … Continued

Whistleblowers with axes to grind are protected

“Wrongdoing is no less wrong because it was brought to light by an employee with an axe to grind[,]” argues the U.S. Office of Special Counsel’s (OSC) in a recent amicus brief in a Whistleblower Protection Act case. Last week, the OSC filed an amicus brief about whether a federal employee must have “pure” motives when … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Will Speak at DC Bar Program About Whistleblower Rights, Protections and Challenges

Whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman, Principal of Washington DC whistleblower law firm Zuckerman Law, will speak at a DC Bar program on April 4, 2017 titled “Whistleblower Rights, Protections and Challenges.” To register, click here. Zuckerman is honored to join Darshan Sheth of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and Robert Storch, Deputy Inspector General, Department of Justice, … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Eric Bachman Will Speak at Seminar About Whistleblower Claims

Whistleblower lawyer Eric Bachman will speak at a DC Bar CLE about whistleblower rights and protection for federal employees on April 24, 2017. The other panelists are Daniel Meyer, Executive Director for Intelligence Community Whistleblowing & Source Protection, Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community and Mark Zaid, Law Office of Mark S. … Continued

Inspector General Concludes that Marshalls Service Official Violated the Whistleblower Protection A

Following an investigation, the Department of Justice Inspector General concluded that the Chief Deputy United States Marshal (CDUSM) and a Senior Inspector retaliated against subordinate employees for their cooperation with an OIG investigation. According to the investigative summary, the retaliation included restricting an employee’s work assignments and threatening retaliation to dissuade employees from cooperating with … Continued

Court Rules that Whistleblowers Can Use Confidential Company Documents to Expose Fraud

A whistleblower achieved a significant win on a critical challenge that nearly all corporate whistleblowers often face – whether they can use confidential company documents to expose fraud and other illegality. Judge Bashant’s decision in Erhart v. Bofi Holdings clarifies that employer confidentiality agreements do not supersede federal whistleblower rights, and signals that retaliatory lawsuits against … Continued

Whistleblower Lawyer Will Speak on Panel About Whistleblower and Rewards Claims: Top 10 New Developments

Whistleblower lawyer Jason Zuckerman will speak at a CLE sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association on a panel titled Whistleblower and Rewards Claims: Top 10 New Developments. Zuckerman is privileged to join attorneys Lynne Bernabei and Richard Renner. The panel will address the following topics: Recent SEC whistleblower awards and the SEC’s focus on combating … Continued

Trump Administration’s Gag Policy at the EPA is Unlawful

Several media outlets are reporting that President Trump’s political landing team at the EPA, which draws heavily from energy industry lobby and pro-drilling think tanks, is prohibiting employees from speaking to the media and Congress. Politico reports that the landing team is “limiting employees’ ability to issue news releases, tweet or otherwise communicate with the … Continued

What whistleblowing is protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act?

The Whistleblower Protection Act prohibits retaliation against federal employees, applicants, or former employees for disclosing the following types of government wrongdoing: a violation of any law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; abuse of authority; or a substantial or specific danger to public health or safety. (5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8). The WPA … Continued

SEC Advocates Broad Construction of Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Protection Law

SEC Files Amicus Curiae Brief in Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Retaliation Case The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) continues to advocate a broad construction of the anti-retaliation provision of the Dodd-Frank Act. In its amicus curiae brief in Danon v. Vanguard Group, Inc., the SEC argues that: Section 21F of the Exchange Act is ambiguous regarding who qualifies … Continued