FEBRUARY 23, 2005
9:15 AM
CONTACT: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Chas Offutt, 202-265-7337
Common DreamsMore Than A Thousand Whistleblower Cases Dumped; Special Counsel Dismisses Hundreds of Disclosures and Complaints in Past Year
WASHINGTON -- February 23 -- The U.S. Special Counsel has dismissed more than 1,000 whistleblower cases in the past year, according to a letter from the Bush-appointed Special Counsel released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Special Counsel appears to have taken action in very few, if any, of these cases and has yet to represent a single whistleblower in an employment case.
In a letter dated February 14, 2005 and addressed to U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Special Counsel Scott Bloch defends his stormy 13 months in office by pointing to a sharp drop in backlogged whistleblower cases.
“Everyone agrees that backlogs and delays are bad but they are not as bad as simply dumping the cases altogether,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that this letter is the first account that Bloch has released of his tenure and that his office’s report for FY 2004, which ended in October, is overdue. “If the Office of Special Counsel under Scott Bloch is not helping whistleblowers then there is no reason for the office to continue to exist.”
According to the figures released by Bloch, in the past year the Office of Special Counsel—
Dismissed or otherwise disposed of 600 whistleblower disclosures where civil servants have reported waste, fraud, threats to public safety and violations of law. Bloch has yet to announce a single case where he has ordered an investigation into the employee’s charges. Bloch says that 100 disclosures are still pending; and Made 470 claims of retaliation disappear. In not one of these cases did Bloch’s office affirmatively represent a whistleblower to obtain relief before the civil service court system, called the Merit Systems Protection Board. Bloch says that another 30 retaliation cases remain in the backlog. In order to speed dismissals, Bloch ins uted a rule forbidding his staff from contacting a whistleblower if their disclosure was deemed incomplete or ambiguous. Instead, OSC would simply dismiss the matter. As a result, hundreds of whistleblowers never had a chance to justify why their cases had merit.
Just in case anyone is wondering where all the abuse by government claims have disappeared too. ...
Waste, fraud, threats to public safety, violations of law - who wants to hear about that now that the right-wing mafia is in charge?
"Bloch ins uted a rule forbidding his staff from contacting a whistleblower if their disclosure was deemed incomplete or ambiguous"
well, if their claim was so pressing they need to learn how to file the info correctly...i'm sure they can refile their case...
Dan, the reason people don't get their say is because they have to be heard over people like you. Besides, you probably account for more than 3/4 of those cases anyways.
Speaking of government whistle blowers, the Administration blinked today and declassified Information vital to the Sibel Edmounds case that it had previously re-classified even though it has been released for more than a year...
ACLUAdministration Blinks; Admits Retroactively Classified Information Not Harmful to National Security
February 22, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected]
Decision Likely to Have Significant Impact on Sibel Edmonds’ Appeal, Says ACLU
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department admitted today that information it had retroactively classified could be released to the public and did not pose a threat to national security. The American Civil Liberties Union said the revelation could aid government whistleblowers in their efforts to fight unlawful dismissals.
"The Justice Department’s long-overdue admission goes to the core of the ACLU’s allegations that the government is going all out to silence whistleblowers to protect itself from political embarrassment," said ACLU Associate Legal Director Ann Beeson, who is representing former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds in a lawsuit challenging her termination. "This is hardly an isolated case, as numerous national security whistleblowers can attest. The government is taking extreme steps to shield itself while gambling with our safety."
In May 2004, the Justice Department retroactively classified information presented two years earlier by the FBI to the Senate Judiciary Committee during two unclassified briefings regarding Edmonds, who had repeatedly reported serious security breaches and misconduct in the agency’s translation program. An executive summary of the Justice Department’s Inspector General report into her termination concluded that Edmonds was fired for reporting the misconduct, and that her allegations, if true, could have potentially damaging consequences for the FBI.
Edmonds, a former Middle Eastern language specialist hired by the FBI shortly after 9/11, challenged her retaliatory dismissal by filing a law suit in federal court, but her case was dismissed last July after Attorney General John Ashcroft invoked the so-called "state secrets privilege." It was at that time that the Justice Department retroactively classified the two-year old briefings in attempt to bolster its "state secrets" claim. The ACLU is representing Edmonds in her appeal.
..more..
Are you saying we shoudln't trust our government?
Heavens no!
This doesn't suprise me, we live in the era of the Patriot Act.
Not sick of this yet Manny? Try this...
need more bad news?February 8 -- The U.S. Special Counsel has handed out termination papers to seven headquarters staff members who refused involuntary reassignment to a proposed new office in Detroit and an existing office in Dallas. The seven were given one week – the minimum period allowed – to change their minds or be removed from the federal service in 30 days, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
Last month, Scott Bloch, the Bush-appointed Special Counsel, abruptly ordered 12 headquarters employees, on penalty of removal, to relocate to Dallas, Oakland and a newly created Detroit field office. Originally, five employees accepted the reassignments; with four of those five indicating that their acceptance was under duress. One of the four who accepted the reassignment under duress has found a position outside OSC and has submitted a letter of resignation. The remaining seven staff members declined the involuntary transfers and now are being removed.
The 12 reassigned employees represent more than a fifth of the Special Counsel headquarters legal and investigative staff. Bloch did not consult beforehand with the people he selected for relocation nor did he ask for volunteers who might be willing to move. All 12 are career employees hired before Bloch became Special Counsel, an agency with the mission of protecting federal whistleblower and merit system rights.
[...]
“The person giving out these pink slips should be the one on the receiving end,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch whose organization is suing Bloch to obtain copies the no-bid consultant contracts he let out to friends and copies of the work produced. “In federal court, Scott Bloch is claiming that he does not have enough staff to even respond to Freedom of Information Act requests and then a week later he fires seven more staff—go figure.”
Bloch’s 13-month tenure as Special Counsel has been marred by repeated missteps, including an embarrassing reversal on protecting federal employees on the basis of sexual orientation, issuing a gag order to his staff to deter what he described as “leakers,” and sewing confusion during the height of last year’s presidential campaign with a directive that candidates could not make campaign appearances inside federal structures.
Common DreamsThe OSC is an independent body charged with defending federal employees who disclose incidents of abuse, waste or mismanagement, or who have been discriminated against in the workplace because of political affiliation or personal status. To protect the OSC from outside pressure, the agency’s director is appointed for five years and cannot be removed except in cases of illegal misconduct.
when you work for the federal government you should be ready to have to be reassigned if need be... if not, work in the private sector..
Sure, but you don't think he could have handled it in a better way? I swear, sometimes you go to extended lengths not to acknowledge a damn thing.
what way would you prefer? life is not all about roses and making people feel happy
You're right. UTSA shoudln't accept students that can't read. It's a good thing most of your tests are scantron. I'd hate to see what you write.Bloch did not consult beforehand with the people he selected for relocation nor did he ask for volunteers who might be willing to move.
you either spelling bee champion... the boss is the one who makes the decisions. he shouldn't have to ask his employees what they want.. he needs to do what is best for the company/government/etc...
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