People often hear of substantial whistleblower settlements and start to dream of what they would do with all of that money. But for every millionaire whistleblower, there are hundreds of people who did not get rich, were retaliated against, and suffered in silence. In the highly technical area of whistleblower law, getting experienced legal advice often means the difference between success and suffering.
A recent case result highlights the sort of challenges many of my Mississippi clients have to endure when they expose government fraud. The whistleblowers were TSA agents who exposed unsafe and sloppy practices. They received a million dollars, or $333,000 each, which will likely catch potential whistleblowers’ attention. But they also endured severe retribution and retaliation at the hands of their supervisors, which should be a warning regarding the challenges of whistleblowing. I provided a link to the press release regarding this case below and will discuss it in some detail.
If you are considering exposing government fraud, contact an experienced whistleblower attorney first. In the end, the federal government will only prosecute very few whistleblowers’ claims each year. Only those that are pursued by the government result in any compensation for the whistleblower, so stating your claim convincingly is critical. I have the experience to help you through the process. Call me today at (601) 790-1505.
The Whistleblower Protection Act
The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, 5 U.S.C. ch. 12 sec. 1201, is a federal law that prohibits retaliation, or threats of retaliation, against federal employee whistleblowers who report misconduct within the federal agency that employs them. Federal employee whistleblowers may file complaints if they reasonably believe that they know of “a violation of law, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.” Alleged violations of the Whistleblower Protection Act are prosecuted by attorneys from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
T.S.A. Whistleblowers Expose Operations Failures and Safety Issues
In the case resolution announced on May 23, 2018, the Office of Special Prosecutions stated that three Transportation Security Administration (T.S.A.) whistleblowers would receive a total of one million dollars because they had reported problems regarding lax adherence to safety protocols and poor management. The whistleblowers, three T.S.A. administrators, were all working in Hawaii at the time they raised their concerns, and two of them were originally from Hawaii. Instead of acting on the reports, T.S.A. senior leadership retaliated against the administrators by permanently relocating their positions to the mainland United States.
The attorney prosecuting the federal government’s case, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner stated, “I am pleased that we were able to achieve favorable results for the three TSA employees who had their lives thrown into disarray and hope this outcome will encourage others to speak up when they see something that could put the public at risk.” I think Kerner sums of the plight of the whistleblower well, there is a chance that you will be well compensated for your decision to bring government abuses to light, but it would be inappropriate to discuss that compensation without the “disarray” that choice will cause.
What Should You Do if You are Considering a Whistleblower Claim?
Do you know about fraud or other serious misconduct, fraud, waste, or abuse of authority occurring in your federal workplace like the one described above? Are you considering filing a whistleblower case?
Call Barrett Law now at (601) 790-1505 if you think you may be a whistleblower.
Experienced whistleblower lawyer Barrett can provide you with the advice you will need to file a successful Whistleblower Protection Act case. Having expert legal advice by your side can mean the difference between receiving your share of a whistleblower judgment and losing your career and livelihood. Call us today.
