March, 10 2010, 01:17pm EDT
Whistleblower Advocates Oppose Senate Bill
S. 372 repeals existing FBI protections and expands state secrets privilege
WASHINGTON
Prominent national security whistleblowers and advocacy groups issued a letter today urging the Senate to vote against the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009 (S. 372)
unless the dangerous national security whistleblower provisions are
corrected. This bill, which is currently being "hotlined" for
unanimous consent, repeals existing FBI protections and strengthens the
state secrets privilege.
The letter, signed by national
security whistleblowers and
respected advocates for national security employees, explains in detail
the deficiencies in the Senate bill that will harm national security by
covering up intelligence failures and civil liberties
abuses:
"S. 372 will become known as the Whistleblower
Discouragement Act of 2010 if these provisions related to national
security and FBI employees are not fixed. The ability of Inspectors
General, Congress and the American public to learn about waste, fraud
and abuse in numerous agencies that spend hundreds of billions of
dollars will be completely undercut. Intelligence failures that led to
incredible blunders both before and after the 9/11 attacks will be
hidden from oversight and scrutiny. Although honest federal employees
who desire to inform their government officials of mistakes and abuses
will be the first victims of S. 372, the real victim will be the
American people."
To arrange interviews with FBI
whistleblowers Dr.
Whitehurst, Jane Turner or Sibel Edmonds, or the attorneys with active
FBI whistleblower cases, please contact Lindsey Williams at lmw@whistleblowers.org or call 202-342-1903.
Links:
March 10, 2010 Letter to Senate Intelligence, Judiciary, and Homeland Security Committee
March 3, 2010 Letter from FBI whistleblower Dr. Fredric Whitehurst
February 19, 2010 Letter from FBI whistleblowers Jane Turner and Sibel Edmonds
For more information on the NWC's
upcoming April 1st training seminar on what journalists need to know to
protect whistleblower sources, including national security
whistleblowers please email contact@whistleblowers.org.
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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