In Their Own Words . . . .

In Their Own Words - Meuse

--“We felt we weren't being heard within the organization…and we're still not being heard. You have to reach out until someone hears you...you can't go home and forget about it. We're talking about veteran's lives.”

Sheila Meuse, whistleblower and assistant director of Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System. Click here for more.

In Their Own Words - Schneiderman

-- Albany is “the nation’s most consistent epicenter of public corruption,” which has left New Yorkers “living in a golden age of graft.”

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman on his call for major ethics reform in the State.  Click here for more.

In Their Own Words - Robinson

-- "THEY RARELY SEE THEMSELVES AS HEROES. THEY'RE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO COMPLICATE THEIR LIVES OR STEP INTO THE LIMELIGHT. BUT THEY'RE WITNESSES TO SOMETHING THEY COULD NO LONGER STOMACH."

New Mexico journalist Sherry Robinson on New Mexico's proposed legislation that she fears will seriously weaken whistleblower protections. Click here for more.

In Their Own Words - Coleman

-- "WITHIN THE PHOENIX VA THERE'S JUST THIS CANCER TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO COME FORWARD CAUSE LOOK AT WHAT THEY CAN DO TO AN EMPLOYEE LIKE ME."

Phoenix VA whistleblower Brandon Coleman. Click here for more.

In Their Own Words - Elbasri

-- "SYSTEMATIC MASS RAPE AND OTHER INSTANCES OF VIOLENCE WENT UNREPORTED, UN-INVESTIGATED AND COVERED UP, FORCING ME TO BLOW THE WHISTLE LAST YEAR.... THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE OVER DARFUR MUST STOP." Aicha Elbasri, former spokesperson for the United Nations Mission in Darfur, in her letter to the International Criminal Court urging it to re-open its investigation of Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir for war crimes...

In Their Own Words - Penman

-- "Retaliation is perhaps the one compliance violation most likely to do irreparable damage to a company's culture and employee morale....It stifles transparency, erodes trust in leadership, eliminates future reports and, at its worst, it drives the disenfranchised employee outside the organization and into the arms of regulators."

Carrie Penman, chief compliance officer and senior vice president NAVEX Global, on...

In Their Own Words - Richards

-- "I don’t think this is because women are inherently more ‘moral’ than men. [Instead, it shows] that gender diversity is a good proxy for more general cognitive diversity....”

Anne Richards, a high-ranking executive at one of the largest investment firms in Europe, on a new study (by MSCI Inc.) showing that “companies that invest in gender diversity at high levels are less likely to fall prey to fraud,...

In Their Own Words - Grassley

-- "Whistleblowers are kind of treated like a skunk at a picnic, and I hope you’ll do all you can to reverse that.”

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to FBI Associate Deputy Director Kevin Perkins at a hearing on the FBI’s treatment of whistleblowers. Click here for more.

In Their Own Words - Grassley

--The FBI Senate Judiciary Committee testimony “confirmed that the FBI is not particularly interested in protecting employees who point out fraud, waste and mismanagement.”

Sen. Charles Grassley. Click here for more.

In Their Own Words - Drake

-- “THE GOVERNMENT'S MESSAGE IS CLEAR...WHISTLEBLOWING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST WILL BE PUNISHED, WHILE DISCLOSING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION DEVOID OF PUBLIC VALUE WILL GET YOU A PASS.”

NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake commenting on Petraeus plea deal.  Read more here.