Whistleblower Week in Washington
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.[1] 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[2] and announced in the Congressional Record by Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa.[3]
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.[4]
2007 participants
The first Whistleblower Week was organized by around fifty organizations[1] and included a diverse group of participants, from a United States Senator to a 9-11 conspiracy theorist recruiting followers.[2]
Notable attendees included:
- Senator Charles Grassley, who received a lifetime achievement award for his fight against waste, fraud and corruption in government.
- Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco executive who reported the industry's manipulation of nicotine levels in cigarettes and was featured in the movie The Insider.
- Coleen Rowley, who blew the whistle on the FBI's negligence preceding the September 11 terrorist attack. Ms. Rowley was named as one of Time Magazine's Persons of the Year, along with conference supporter and Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins. 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]
- 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 vanadium.[5]
- Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, of the Army Corps of Engineers. Greenhouse opposed the process that awarded government contracts to Halliburton, Inc., without counterbids.[2]
- 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.[2]
2008 participants
References