More Than A Thousand Whistleblower Cases Dumped; Special Counsel Dismisses

[RedEarth]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 23, 2005
9:15 AM
CONTACT: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Chas Offutt, 202-265-7337


More Than A Thousand Whistleblower Cases Dumped; Special Counsel Dismisses Hundreds of Disclosures and Complaints in Past Year

WASHINGTON -- February 23 -- The U.S. Special Counsel has dismissed more than 1,000 whistleblower cases in the past year, according to a letter from the Bush-appointed Special Counsel released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Special Counsel appears to have taken action in very few, if any, of these cases and has yet to represent a single whistleblower in an employment case.

In a letter dated February 14, 2005 and addressed to U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Special Counsel Scott Bloch defends his stormy 13 months in office by pointing to a sharp drop in backlogged whistleblower cases.

“Everyone agrees that backlogs and delays are bad but they are not as bad as simply dumping the cases altogether,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that this letter is the first account that Bloch has released of his tenure and that his office’s report for FY 2004, which ended in October, is overdue. “If the Office of Special Counsel under Scott Bloch is not helping whistleblowers then there is no reason for the office to continue to exist.”

According to the figures released by Bloch, in the past year the Office of Special Counsel—

Dismissed or otherwise disposed of 600 whistleblower disclosures where civil servants have reported waste, fraud, threats to public safety and violations of law. Bloch has yet to announce a single case where he has ordered an investigation into the employee’s charges. Bloch says that 100 disclosures are still pending; and Made 470 claims of retaliation disappear. In not one of these cases did Bloch’s office affirmatively represent a whistleblower to obtain relief before the civil service court system, called the Merit Systems Protection Board. Bloch says that another 30 retaliation cases remain in the backlog. In order to speed dismissals, Bloch instituted a rule forbidding his staff from contacting a whistleblower if their disclosure was deemed incomplete or ambiguous. Instead, OSC would simply dismiss the matter. As a result, hundreds of whistleblowers never had a chance to justify why their cases had merit.



http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/newsprint.cgi?file=/news2005/0223-02.htm


It's interesting I ran across this article, since last night my wife and I were talking about whistleblowers and how, in many cases, these people are true heroes...Sibel Edwards, prison torture in Iraq, etc.

[KingoftheJungle]

1. so that's where all our whistle-blowers went

down the fucking tube of complacent bureaucracy

[cthrumatrix]

14. this is shrub's version of "democracy"

[hector459]

2. What did we expect from this admin? They don't want the truth about

anything and they don't want anyone else learning the truth either.

[shraby]

4. What in the hell?????????

And we are just now hearing about this??????? Fertilizer should hit the oscillating blades big time over this.

[Prodemsouth]

18. Yawn, Yawn, - Let me get my fat ass in my SUV with the ribbon stickers

supporting the monkey's war on the back. We only want to hear from you liberals when we are unemployed- and can't afford the payments on all of our SUV and all the other shit.
No shit will hit the fan as long as the monkey's family and friends owns everything. Meanwhile our side fights among itself-because it is afraid to speak the truth to power. I am talking about everyone on our side.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Hey! The media could provide a public service by reporting

a synopsis of each one of those cases!

Oh, I forgot. Our media is dead.

[annabanana]

5. disgraceful........

Especially in those cases where there was retaliation. It's a wonder that betrayed whistleblowers haven't attempted to take matters into their own hands.

[librechik]

6. the zero accountability zone

it's called the Bush administration

[jasop]

7. This is absolutely unacceptable..

much like everything this administration does. But don't worry, nothing will be done about it and the coporate media will not even touch it.

[Beetwasher]

8. If This Admin. Is SOOO Bad, Where Are ALL THE WHISTLEBLOWERS????

Hmmmmm??? How many times have I heard this from assholes...

We have our answer...They are there, they are just ignored and dismissed...

"Hey, ain't our office great! No backlog of whistleblowers! How about that!"

Assholes.

[burythehatchet]

9. Makes perfect sense

Its a great way to prevent any information leaking out that may bolster any one of the dozens criminal allegations that bush is facing

[atommom]

10. Can you imagine how many scandals are buried here?

Is anyone brave enough to dig up the stories and inform the public?

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. I sent a copy of the press release to Keith Olbermann

Maybe he's already seen it, but what the hell. It's tough when there's only one television reporter consistently telling the truth. With all the scandals and horrors, he can't possibly cover them all alone, but at least this will bring it to the attention of his staff.

[RedEarth]

13. Excellent idea........

I'll do the same and hopefully many others will as well. In fact, we need to flood all the news outlets with this press release. It's scary to think of all the real "news" that goes un-reported due to intimidation by the Bush administration.

[Just Me]

12. These whistle-blowers should start their own advocacy group,...

,...and demand media coverage, organize weekly letters to editors across the nation, demand meetings with both Republican and Democratic representatives, write to major magazines, connect with parallel activist groups, etc.

Their voices should be heard!!!!

[Canuckistanian]

15. Start a complaint department then ignore the complaints

Makes sense to me. Nothing but troublemakers anyways.

[gratuitous]

16. Dump the cases, no backlog! Presto!

Geez, if I just took a Bic lighter to my desk, I wouldn't have any pesky work clogging up my time either!

But the Justice Department has all the manpower it needs to take Oregon's physician assisted suicide law to the Supreme Court.

Oh, and prosecute those 82-year-old peace activists who "trespass" at the School of the Americas.

[Bouncy Ball]

17. I was WONDERING what the hell happened to all the whistleblowers.

Not that the media would cover these stories anyway, but DAMN. So just dismiss them out of hand, huh?

Pretty par for the course for the bush junta, sadly.

[lovuian]

19. This administration has put in corrupt puppets not doing their job

and protecting the US citizens from massive theft!!!

This is proof here so obvious!!!

[DoYouEverWonder]

20. This asshole was definitely given the right name

He's a real Bloch on democracy.

[Mandate My Ass]

21. Maybe the blogosphere will have to take up the slack yet again

for corporate whores who are busy with Jacko and Brad and Jen's break up.

These can't just be made to go away.

[nedbal]

22. ultra-conservative Ave Maria law school

http://www.ems.org/nws/2005/01/27/special_counsel_

Press Release

For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 27, 2005
Contact: Chas Offutt [phone]


SPECIAL COUNSEL SEEKS TO HIDE ITS CONTRACTS
Says It Lacks Staff to Consider Request for Ex-Boarding School Headmaster Records

Washington, DC — The U.S. Office of Special Counsel claims that it is unable to produce a copy of consultant contract with a former Catholic boarding school headmaster, according to an affidavit filed in response to a lawsuit brought by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). PEER is seeking to force the release of documents showing how the agency that is supposed to police compliance with federal civil service rules is itself circumventing civil service rules by using no-bid consultants and hiring on a non-competitive basis.

In filings before the federal district court in Washington, D.C., OSC contends that it lacks the staff to even respond to PEER’s request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act until July 31, 2005. At the same time that he is claiming severe staff shortages, Special Counsel Scott Bloch is directing more than 20 percent of his headquarters legal and investigative staff to relocate or be fired.

“Why is the Special Counsel hiding these contracts?” asked PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that since becoming Special Counsel a year ago, Bloch has brought in a series of special consultants and non-competitive hires, including recent graduates of the ultra-conservative Ave Maria law school. “With the time and staff he is using to mount this convoluted legal defense, why doesn’t he instead just comply with the law and produce a copy of the contracts?”

PEER is seeking copies of contracts and work products for –

· Alan Hicks, a former headmaster of St. Gregory’s Academy, a Catholic boarding school, who left in the wake of allegations concerning priests sexually preying on young students. Bloch retained Hicks as a special consultant. PEER is seeking the contract and the resultant work-product; and

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