In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words. . . .Igor Volovich

"A whistleblower is a canary in the mine. . . .  They are essential for the continued safe operation of the mine." Igor Volovich, VP of compliance strategy at Qmulos, in Security Week article on the rise of cybersecurity whistleblowers and why companies would be best served by treating them as friends not foes.

In Their Own Words. . . .Government Accountability Project Tom Devine and Joe Spielberger

"[Whistleblower] retaliation doesn’t just punish honest people, it scares others into silence, allowing corruption to continue threatening the health, safety, and welfare of Florida’s residents and honest contractors." From their OpEd in today's Miami Herald calling on Florida Senator Rick Scott to support the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act, bipartisan legislation that "would update and...

In Their Own Words. . . .Rice University Political Science Professor Mark Jones

"[T]he reality is that if you’re a whistleblower, at a very high level you saw a group of well-respected, conscientious whistleblowers go to the FBI only after they were unable to convince their boss that he was engaging in transgressions and the response of all this is that their names get dragged through the mud, they get fired.  The lesson they’re going to draw from it is, 'Why bother?'" From the Texas...

In Their Own Words. . . .Booz Allen Whistleblower Sarah Feinberg

"I’ve got three kids, and I tell them, 'Doing the right thing is the right thing, no matter what the outcome is." From the NBC News article on Sarah Feinberg's False Claims Act lawsuit against Booz Allen Hamilton for allegedly overcharging the government on private consulting contracts, including with foreign governments such as Saudi Arabia.  Booz Allen ultimately settled the action (on July 21) for $377...

In Their Own Words. . . . Senator Chuck Grassley

"The cornerstone of the United States government is accountability to the people it serves. Whistleblowers put their jobs and reputations on the line to uphold that bedrock principle. . . .  Protecting whistleblowers is good government, plain and simple, and that’s something we can all get behind." Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), in his press release announcing his bipartisan resolution -- co-sponsored with...

In Their Own Words . . . .Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

"Gulf-sized race-based gaps exist with respect to the health, wealth, and well-being of American citizens.  They were created in the distant past, but have indisputably been passed down to the present day through the generations.  Every moment these gaps persist is a moment in which this great country falls short of actualizing one of its foundational principles -- the 'self-evident' truth that all of us are created...

Honoring the Passing of Legendary Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg

“How can you measure the jeopardy that I'm in - whether it's 10 years, 20 years, 115 years, or other ludicrous amounts like that - to the penalty that has been paid already by 50,000 American families here and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese families.” -Daniel Ellsberg, NPR archived recording. Daniel Ellsberg, freedom of the press advocate, anti-nuclear activist, and a 2021 Whistleblower of the Year...

In Their Own Words . . . .Greg Carr

"Juneteenth celebrations are a chance for this country, for the United States to rethink not only its origins, but the relationship of everybody who lives in this country to each other.  In many ways, Juneteenth symbolically becomes a litmus test for the possibilities of this country." Greg Carr, associate professor of Africana Studies at Howard University, in yesterday's NPR piece -- Juneteenth, the newest...

In Their Own Words . . . . Special Counsel Jack Smith

"We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone.  Applying those laws. Collecting facts. That’s what determines the outcome of an investigation. Nothing more. Nothing less." Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith in his Statement announcing the indictment of former President Donald J. Trump with "felony violations of our national security laws as well as participating in a...

In Their Own Words . . . . Seth Stern

"When the government breaks the law, it should expect whistleblowers to tell the press and the press to tell the public.  It has no one to blame for the fallout but itself." Seth Stern, Director of Advocacy, Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit organization "that protects, defends, and empowers public-interest journalism in the 21st century."  It comes from his Opinion piece recognizing the Tenth...