rssAdvocates Push Back on WaPo Bashing Whistleblower Protections
Tuesday, February 03, 2009 at 1:40 pm
- 2 Comments
I think I made the case pretty strongly in my piece today on why the failure of the stimulus bill to protect private contractor whistleblowers, and the omission in the Senate version to even protect federal employees, is a serious problem.
Now a coalition of good-government and whistleblower advocacy groups has written a powerful response to an editorial that appeared in The Washington Post on Monday bashing the entire purpose of including whistleblower protections in a stimulus bill at all. According to that editorial, which I cited in my piece and has gotten lots of attention from others (including this terrific post from emptywheel), federal employee protections don’t belong in a stimulus bill at all.
Well, except for that thing called accountability? Remember what happened when we had none in Iraq?
Today’s letter from the coalition, which includes such groups as the National Whistleblower Center, the Project on Government Oversight, Public Citizen and the Union of Concerned Scientists, explains why whistleblower protections are critical to preventing waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer money — noting that even the U.S. Department of Justice has said that whistleblowers were responsible for returning over $1 billion to the U.S. Treasury in 2008 alone. And more than 5,000 corporations recently told PricewaterhouseCoopers that whistleblowers were the most effective means for detecting corporate fraud.
As the coalition put it in the letter:
If lawmakers reject these provisions, they will be sending federal employees a very strong signal: Keep your head down and don’t rock the boat. Employees know what happens to colleagues who step forward and expose waste, fraud and abuse in government. Federal workers who have reported wrongdoing have lost more than 98.5 percent of cases at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals since 1994, when Congress last unanimously strengthened the law. During the entire Bush administration, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board ruled only twice that the whistleblower law was violated.
It’s time to end the culture of secrecy and guarantee that the federal workforce has our support in making sure our stimulus dollars are spent honestly and effectively.
With hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars planned to go out the door very quickly in this stimulus package, I would think we’d want to encourage all employees — whether of the federal government or private contractors — to vigilantly report any waste and fraud they discover in the process. Right?
2 Comments
Comment posted February 4, 2009 @ 7:59 am
January 21, 2009
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Re: Investigation/Removal of FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair, John C. Dugan,
Comptroller of the Currency, Julie Williams, Assistant Director Office of Comptroller, John M. Reich, Director, Office of Thrift Supervision
Dear President Barack Obama,
Please do not retain FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. Retention of Chairman Bair will guarantee that your Administration will inherit reported ‘tainted’ fraud at the FDIC reported by myself and former FDIC Whistleblowers (see enclosed) since the early 1970s. I reported FDICs fraud in accordance to the Federal Whistleblower statute ignored by FDIC Chairman.
This serves as an official request that your Administration initiate an immediate investigation of reported fraud at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); to and including the immediate removal of Chairman Sheila C. Bair and other reported officials engaged into RICO (Racketeering), inside trading, money laundering, receivership fraud, bank fraud and unregistered Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Financial fraud linked to FDIC, Indy Bank, Countrywide, AIG, Fannie Mae, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, SunTrust, Lehman Brothers, Wackenhut and other Banking and Financial Institutions.
FDIC Chairman Bair willfully and knowingly ignored reported fraud. Chairman Bair and other Financial regulators must be held accountable for: (1) negligent oversight, (2) safety and soundness of the Banking industry, (3) failure to regulate, (4) failure to audit false financial statements of FDIC CEOs, (5) failure to oversee the Mortgage industry; (6) failure to investigate reported fraud at the FDIC linked to Enron, Merrill Lynch, Countrywide, SunTrust, Wackenhut, Bank Hamilton, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Indy Bank et.al., In retaliation of reporting FDIC Corporate-Wide fraud, Chairman Bair condoned and sanctioned FDICs involuntary removal of my Federal career after 25 years of sustained outstanding Federal services. I now remain without employment, salary, and critical health benefits to care for my severely autistic son with a seizure disorder.
Congressman Barney Frank, Chairman Financial Services is also a partaker of reported fraud at the FDIC. Mr. Frank received evidence regarding FDIC by letter dated May 16, 2008, from former Congressman Albert R. Wynn to investigate the FDIC. (Enclosed).
President Obama, you pledged that you would go line-by-line to ensure accountability. You pledged that you will hold regulators responsible. You pledged that you will ensure accountability, transparency, investigations, and removal of CEOs. I, and millions of Americans elected you as our President based on your campaign promises, pledges, trust, and integrity. I have enclosed evidence of fraud reported against the FDIC (539 page disclosure report). Retention of FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair before reviewing evidence only creates mistrust. The Mortgage crises did not occur by osmosis. The Mortgage crisis was a deliberate attack on American Homeowners by a failed corrupt Government, FDIC corrupt officials, President Bush corrupt Administration; and his cronies appointed throughout the Federal Government.
Furthermore, I demand an immediate removal of FDIC CEO John F. Bovenzi and his spouse Erica Cooper Bovenzi both corrupted officials at the FDIC; to and including the immediate removal of FDIC OIG Jon Rymer. Former FDIC Chairman Donald E. Powell, Frederick S. Selby FDIC Division of Finance Director aka signatory Bank officer to notorious Kenneth Lay (Enron), Wells Fargo, Boatman’s, Wachovia; among other reported fraud must be investigated. President Obama, please do not be naïve. Chairman Barney Frank and FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair are both conspirators of fraud reported at the FDIC. The following is evidence that Barney Frank is also an “unregistered” investor of General Motors Corporation. However, Barney Frank voted on the Big3 (Automotive) bailout which is unethical and questionable.
“Barney Frank”
Latest Filing: 7/19/02 as Signatory
As: Signatory (Director, Officer, Attorney, Accountant, Banker, Agent, etc.)
List All Filings as Signatory
Search Recent Filings (as Signatory) for “Barney Frank”
“Barney Frank” has been a Signatory for/with the following 4 Registrants:
• Directv Group Inc [ formerly Hughes Electronics Corp ]
• DISH Network CORP [ formerly Echostar Communications Corp ]
• General Motors Corp
• Hec Holdings Inc
“Barney Frank” has/had a Signatory interest in the following 2 Registrants:
• Directv Group Inc [ formerly Hughes Electronics Corp ]
• General Motors Corp
Copyright © 2008 Fran Finnegan & Company All Rights Reserved.
http://www.secinfo.com – Wed, 3 Dec 2008 04:55:49.0 GMT
General Motors Corp • 8-K • For 3/6/08
Filed On 3/6/08 2:58pm ET • SEC File 1-00043 • Accession Number 40730-8-8
As Of Filer Filing As/For/On Docs:Pgs
3/06/08 General Motors Corp 8-K{5,9} 3/06/08 2:6
The Crises on Wall Street was created under President Bush Administration, FDIC regulators, Office of Thrift Supervision, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC); and other corrupt officials. Evidence is located at http://www.lulu.com “Caught in a Web of Bureaucracy” report of Financial fraud by Yolanda C. Gibson-Michaels (539 pages of reported Fraud). Therefore, please consider the implementation of a Whistleblower Disclosure Administration. You must rely upon Federal Whistleblowers if you would like the truth regarding reported fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption. Absent Federal Whistleblowers your quest to uncover the truth will fail as Federal CEOs will continue to hide, obstruct justice and conceal fraud. Federal Whistleblowers play an integral part in disclosing waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption throughout the Federal Government and abroad. Trust, Whistleblowers will not fail you President Obama.
Please reappoint an individual at the FDIC with honesty, integrity, morals, ethics, and values to oversee the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and remove FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. Thank you.
Sincerely,
/s/
Yolanda C. Gibson-Michaels (FDIC Whistleblower)
ygmichaels@yahoo.com
Cc: Vice President Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comment posted February 4, 2009 @ 3:59 pm
January 21, 2009
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Re: Investigation/Removal of FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair, John C. Dugan,
Comptroller of the Currency, Julie Williams, Assistant Director Office of Comptroller, John M. Reich, Director, Office of Thrift Supervision
Dear President Barack Obama,
Please do not retain FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. Retention of Chairman Bair will guarantee that your Administration will inherit reported ‘tainted’ fraud at the FDIC reported by myself and former FDIC Whistleblowers (see enclosed) since the early 1970s. I reported FDICs fraud in accordance to the Federal Whistleblower statute ignored by FDIC Chairman.
This serves as an official request that your Administration initiate an immediate investigation of reported fraud at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); to and including the immediate removal of Chairman Sheila C. Bair and other reported officials engaged into RICO (Racketeering), inside trading, money laundering, receivership fraud, bank fraud and unregistered Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Financial fraud linked to FDIC, Indy Bank, Countrywide, AIG, Fannie Mae, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, SunTrust, Lehman Brothers, Wackenhut and other Banking and Financial Institutions.
FDIC Chairman Bair willfully and knowingly ignored reported fraud. Chairman Bair and other Financial regulators must be held accountable for: (1) negligent oversight, (2) safety and soundness of the Banking industry, (3) failure to regulate, (4) failure to audit false financial statements of FDIC CEOs, (5) failure to oversee the Mortgage industry; (6) failure to investigate reported fraud at the FDIC linked to Enron, Merrill Lynch, Countrywide, SunTrust, Wackenhut, Bank Hamilton, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Indy Bank et.al., In retaliation of reporting FDIC Corporate-Wide fraud, Chairman Bair condoned and sanctioned FDICs involuntary removal of my Federal career after 25 years of sustained outstanding Federal services. I now remain without employment, salary, and critical health benefits to care for my severely autistic son with a seizure disorder.
Congressman Barney Frank, Chairman Financial Services is also a partaker of reported fraud at the FDIC. Mr. Frank received evidence regarding FDIC by letter dated May 16, 2008, from former Congressman Albert R. Wynn to investigate the FDIC. (Enclosed).
President Obama, you pledged that you would go line-by-line to ensure accountability. You pledged that you will hold regulators responsible. You pledged that you will ensure accountability, transparency, investigations, and removal of CEOs. I, and millions of Americans elected you as our President based on your campaign promises, pledges, trust, and integrity. I have enclosed evidence of fraud reported against the FDIC (539 page disclosure report). Retention of FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair before reviewing evidence only creates mistrust. The Mortgage crises did not occur by osmosis. The Mortgage crisis was a deliberate attack on American Homeowners by a failed corrupt Government, FDIC corrupt officials, President Bush corrupt Administration; and his cronies appointed throughout the Federal Government.
Furthermore, I demand an immediate removal of FDIC CEO John F. Bovenzi and his spouse Erica Cooper Bovenzi both corrupted officials at the FDIC; to and including the immediate removal of FDIC OIG Jon Rymer. Former FDIC Chairman Donald E. Powell, Frederick S. Selby FDIC Division of Finance Director aka signatory Bank officer to notorious Kenneth Lay (Enron), Wells Fargo, Boatman’s, Wachovia; among other reported fraud must be investigated. President Obama, please do not be naïve. Chairman Barney Frank and FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair are both conspirators of fraud reported at the FDIC. The following is evidence that Barney Frank is also an “unregistered” investor of General Motors Corporation. However, Barney Frank voted on the Big3 (Automotive) bailout which is unethical and questionable.
“Barney Frank”
Latest Filing: 7/19/02 as Signatory
As: Signatory (Director, Officer, Attorney, Accountant, Banker, Agent, etc.)
List All Filings as Signatory
Search Recent Filings (as Signatory) for “Barney Frank”
“Barney Frank” has been a Signatory for/with the following 4 Registrants:
• Directv Group Inc [ formerly Hughes Electronics Corp ]
• DISH Network CORP [ formerly Echostar Communications Corp ]
• General Motors Corp
• Hec Holdings Inc
“Barney Frank” has/had a Signatory interest in the following 2 Registrants:
• Directv Group Inc [ formerly Hughes Electronics Corp ]
• General Motors Corp
Copyright © 2008 Fran Finnegan & Company All Rights Reserved.
http://www.secinfo.com – Wed, 3 Dec 2008 04:55:49.0 GMT
General Motors Corp • 8-K • For 3/6/08
Filed On 3/6/08 2:58pm ET • SEC File 1-00043 • Accession Number 40730-8-8
As Of Filer Filing As/For/On Docs:Pgs
3/06/08 General Motors Corp 8-K{5,9} 3/06/08 2:6
The Crises on Wall Street was created under President Bush Administration, FDIC regulators, Office of Thrift Supervision, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC); and other corrupt officials. Evidence is located at http://www.lulu.com “Caught in a Web of Bureaucracy” report of Financial fraud by Yolanda C. Gibson-Michaels (539 pages of reported Fraud). Therefore, please consider the implementation of a Whistleblower Disclosure Administration. You must rely upon Federal Whistleblowers if you would like the truth regarding reported fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption. Absent Federal Whistleblowers your quest to uncover the truth will fail as Federal CEOs will continue to hide, obstruct justice and conceal fraud. Federal Whistleblowers play an integral part in disclosing waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption throughout the Federal Government and abroad. Trust, Whistleblowers will not fail you President Obama.
Please reappoint an individual at the FDIC with honesty, integrity, morals, ethics, and values to oversee the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and remove FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. Thank you.
Sincerely,
/s/
Yolanda C. Gibson-Michaels (FDIC Whistleblower)
ygmichaels@yahoo.com
Cc: Vice President Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
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