They are left fighting for their jobs in a special administrative court system, little known to the American public, that is mired in bureaucracy and vulnerable to partisan politics. Instead, they often face agency managers and White House appointees intent upon silencing them rather than addressing the problems they raise. These whistle-blowers are supposed to be guaranteed protection by law from retaliation for speaking out in the public's interest.īut a six-month investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting, in collaboration with Salon, has found that federal whistle-blowers almost never receive legal protection after they take action. Dzakovic was passed up for promotion time and again, and today, he says, he remains consigned to data entry duties for the Transportation Security Administration.Įvery year, hundreds of federal workers sound the alarm about corruption, fraud or dangers to public safety that are caused or overlooked - or even covered up - by U.S. During President Clinton's tenure, Bogdan Dzakovic, an undercover security agent with the Federal Aviation Administration, suffered retribution for speaking out about weak airport security - three years before Sept. Whistle-blowers have faced hostility not only under Republican administrations. Despite a multiyear legal struggle, she is still fighting for her job. When Chambers fought to regain her job through the legal system meant to protect whistle-blowers, government lawyers fought back, and associated her with terrorists. But after Chambers raised concerns publicly that crime was up in the nation's parks, she was rebuked by superiors and fired. She was hired in early 2002, with impeccable law enforcement credentials, to become chief of the United States Park Police. If there is any doubt about how the Bush administration treats government whistle-blowers, consider the case of Teresa Chambers.
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