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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2010
1:19 PM

CONTACT: National Whistleblowers Center

Lindsey M. Williams (202) 342-1903
lmw@whistleblowers.org

UBS Whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld To Be Honored at Whistleblower Assembly

WASHINGTON - May 21 - The Make it Safe Coalition, a bipartisan coalition of leading advocacy groups, will honor Bradley Birkenfeld with its "Tax Whistleblower of the Year" award at the 2010 National Whistleblower Assembly. The award will be presented on Monday, May 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Stewart R. Mott House, located at 122 Maryland Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20002.  Mr. Birkenfeld's brother, Douglas Birkenfeld, will accept the award on his behalf.
 
Mr. Birkenfeld is a former UBS banker who blew the whistle on the bank's $20 billion tax evasion scandal. His disclosures resulted in the payment of $780 million in fines and penalties to the U.S. government and the creation of the IRS amnesty program under which 14,700 people have come forward and admitted to illegal, secret bank accounts.
 
In a move that has outraged whistleblower advocates world wide, the Department of Justice took no action to protect Mr. Birkenfeld, but instead prosecuted him for his participation in the schemes he blew the whistle on.
 
Executive Director of the National Whistleblowers Center and attorney for Bradley Birkenfeld, Stephen M. Kohn, said:
 
"The Department of Justice's actions are unprecedented and a shocking miscarriage of justice.  We urge every American who cares about tax fairness to take action and urge President Obama to grant Mr. Birkenfeld clemency. "
 
Mr. Birkenfeld's official petition for clemency can be found online here.
 
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Since 1988, the NWC and attorneys associated with it have supported whistleblowers in the courts and before Congress and achieved victories for environmental protection, government contract fraud, nuclear safety and government and corporate accountability.
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