---

---

Government and Politics

Pink Slips For Whistle- blowers

A growing number of federal employees complain they were dismissed, disciplined or mistreated because they became whistleblowers who protested against suspected fraud, waste or abuse of public money. Last year, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel -- an independent agency that investigates and prosecutes illegal government workplace practices -- received a record 814 complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers. That compares to 245 such complaints in 1989. The level of complaints within the Clinton administration is three to four times the number received during the Reagan and Bush administrations. Experts attribute the rise in such cases either to government employees becoming more aware of their rights, or to greater instances of retaliation among upper-echelon bureaucrats. Source: Thomas Hargrove (Scripps Howard), "More Federal Whistleblowers Suffer Reprisals for Pointing out Misconduct," Washington Times, April 3, 1998.

---

Home | Support Us | All Issues | Social Security | Debate Central | Contact Us

Dallas Headquarters: 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
Washington Office: 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
© 2001 NCPA