Washington, DC | October 1, 2019 – The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) commends Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) statement today regarding the intelligence community whistleblower. Chairman and co-founder of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, Senator Grassley is a long-time advocate for whistleblower protections.
In his release, Senator Grassley said,
“This person appears to have followed the whistleblower protection laws and ought to be heard out and protected. We should always work to respect whistleblowers’ requests for confidentiality. Any further media reports on the whistleblower’s identity don’t serve the public interest – even if the conflicts sells more papers or attracts clicks.”
Sen. Grassley responded to suggestions that the intelligence community whistleblower does not deserve protection due to his partial reliance on second-hand information, saying:
“When it comes to whether someone qualifies as a whistleblower, the distinctions being drawn between first- and second-hand knowledge aren’t legal ones. It’s just not part of whistleblower protection law or any agency policy.”
John Kostyack, NWC Executive Director, stated:
“Senator Grassley has been a fantastic champion for whistleblowers and for ensuring that all whistleblowers are protected, and he continues this track record by standing in support of this whistleblower. We urge all Members of Congress to follow his lead by defending the rights of all whistleblowers to remain anonymous, be protected from retaliation, and have their complaints heard.”
Stephen Kohn, Chairman of the NWC Board of Directors, said,
“Senator Grassley understands that whistleblowers are the key for oversight and accountability regardless of who is President. It is essential that other Members of Congress speak out and demonstrate the courage that Senator Grassley has consistently demonstrated when he has defended whistleblowers regardless of who sits in the White House.”
“Senator Grassley has always defended whistleblowers in a bipartisan manner. It is time for every Member of Congress and the Executive Branch of government to follow his lead and stop attacking whistleblowers,” Kohn continued, “The next step is to ensure that every federal employee with information relevant to the current investigation of the President be informed of their right to speak to Members of Congress and freely testify without fear of retaliation.”
Senator Grassley’s appearances at NWC’s National Whistleblower Day celebrations in 2018 and 2019 may be viewed here and here.
