The Wall Street Journal couldn’t determine what action, if any, the administration will take, even if the White House is able to determine who wrote the piece. Political appointees are at-will employees and have less whistleblower protection under federal law than career civil servants, said Jason Zuckerman, a lawyer focused on whistleblower protections.
Whistleblower law firm Zuckerman Law has represented whistleblowers before the Office of Special Counsel, Offices of Inspectors General, and Congressional oversight committees. Two of the firm’s attorneys served in senior roles at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
Eric Bachman served as Deputy Special Counsel, Litigation and Legal Affairs, OSC, where he spearheaded an initiative to combat whistleblower retaliation at the Department of Veterans Affairs. During Bachman’s tenure at OSC, the number of favorable actions for whistleblowers increased by over 50% agency-wide.
Recently, Bachman and Zuckerman released a guide for federal employee whistleblowers titled “The Whistleblower Protection Act: Empowering Federal Employees to Root Out Waste, Fraud and Abuse,” which is available for download here. The guide provides an overview of the WPA and offers practical tips for navigating some of the challenging issues that often arise in whistleblower cases. Topics covered include:
What Disclosures are Protected Under the Whistleblower Protection Act?
Does the Whistleblower Protection Act Protect Employees Who Exercise an Appeal or Grievance Right?
Prohibited Forms of Whistleblower Retaliation
Proving Knowledge of Protected Whistleblowing
Proving Causation
What is an Agency’s Burden to Avoid Liability Once the Whistleblower Has Proved Causation?