News: 2018
OSC Looks to Build on Notable 2018 Accomplishments
OSC today released a summary of the historic accomplishments achieved in 2018 and committed to continue the agency’s success in 2019 and beyond. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)...
Apps Used in Combat by U.S. Troops Were Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks
OSC today sent a letter to the President and to Congress alerting them that two software applications widely used in military operations have significant uncorrected cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The U.S. Office...
OSC Obtains Stay for VA Doctor Fired after Disclosing Mistakes Made by Inexperienced Anesthesiologists at LA Medical Center
OSC obtained a 45-day stay of personnel action by the VA to separate Dr. Robert Cameron from employment at a VA medical center in Los Angeles. The U.S. Office of...
EPA Whistleblower Prompts Fixes to Address Faulty Lead Paint Inspections that Put Public at Risk
Elizabeth Wilde is an EPA whistleblower who exposed widespread faulty lead paint inspections across several southern states who worked with OSC to achieve corrective action. **Elizabeth Wilde is an EPA...
Office of Special Counsel Closes Case on Health and Safety Concerns at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish Hatchery in Texas
OSC today closed a case over allegations of health and safety violations at a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish hatchery in Texas. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today...
OSC Alerts The President and Congress of Fraudulent FEMA Travel Reimbursements during Hurricane Irene Response
OSC sent a letter to the President and to Congress alerting them that Paul Swindells, a FEMA logistics manager, falsified documents in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. The U.S. Office...
OSC Announces 2018 Special Counsel Public Servants of the Year
OSC today announced the recipients of the 2018 Special Counsel Public Servants of the Year award. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today announced the recipients of the 2018...
OSC Seeks Corrective Action for Whistleblower Wrongfully Fired by Interior Department
OSC) today announced it has filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) against the U.S. Department of Interior. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)...
OSC Resolves Case for Military Civilian Employee Retaliated Against after Reporting Sexual Assault
OSC has resolved a whistleblower retaliation case for a military civilian employee who was removed from their position and issued a “no contact” order after reporting a sexual assault. The...
ICE Employee Resigns with 5-Year Debarment for Flagrant Hatch Act Violations
OSC today announced a settlement agreement reached with an ICE employee who agreed to resign and not return to federal service for five years after committing numerous Hatch Act violations....
Judge Orders Removal of Postal Service Employee Who Violated the Hatch Act When She Ran for Political Office
OSC today announced that USPS employee who ran for two partisan political offices has been ordered removed from her employment. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today announced that...
Special Counsel Henry Kerner Statement on National Whistleblower Day
Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner today released the following statement in in honor of National Whistleblower Day. Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner today released the following statement in in honor...
OSC Assists Service Member Denied Leave for Air Force Reserve Duty
OSC, as part of its efforts to enforce USERRA, announced today that it successfully resolved a complaint on behalf of a service member. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC),...
OSC Pledges to Implement GAO Recommendations to More Efficiently Process Whistleblower Complaints
Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner today released the following statement in response to a GA report recommending steps to improve its efficiency. Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner today released the...
OSC Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Immigration Judge
OSC filed a Hatch Act complaint requesting disciplinary action against an immigration judge who promoted Hillary Clinton’s plan for immigration reform during a deportation hearing. The U.S. Office of Special...
OSC Applauds President Signing Bill to Help Protect Whistleblowers
Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner today released the following statement after President Trump signed into law a bill to protect federal whistleblowers. Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner today released the...
EPA Whistleblower Prompts Fixes to Address Faulty Lead Paint Inspections that Put Public at Risk
The Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 sent unqualified individuals to inspect renovation sites for lead paint and failed to properly document the inspections. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)...
Whistleblower Reveals FAA Allowed Airplanes to Fly with Expired Airworthiness Certificates, Registrations
Safety inspectors at FAA have improperly approved aircraft for commercial operations without reviewing safety information that in some cases would have prohibited their operation. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel...
OSC Achieved Historic Results for Whistleblowers in FY 2017
OSC today released its FY 2017 Annual Report to Congress, highlighting the agency’s great successes and record-breaking favorable actions on behalf of whistleblowers. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)...
Two USPS Employees to Serve Suspensions for Hatch Act Violations
OSC today announced that it has reached disciplinary action settlements with two U.S. Postal Service employees who violated the Hatch Act in October 2016. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel...
OSC Obtains Settlements for TSA Whistleblowers in Three Involuntary Reassignment Cases
OSC announced that it has resolved three related whistleblower retaliation cases where TSA supervisory employees were geographically reassigned after making disclosures. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today announced...
Whistleblower Revealed $32 Million in Missing Navy Equipment, Mishandled Classified Material
OSC) today sent a letter to the President and Congress after a whistleblower revealed more than $32 million in missing equipment. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today sent a...
Years of Asbestos Exposure at VA Medical Facility Finally Leads to New Safety Policies
OSC has sent a letter to the President and Congress outlining a case at the VA where whistleblowers revealed that veterans and employees had been exposed to asbestos. The U.S....
OSC Alerts President That Navy Falsified Fire and Emergency Training Records
OSC today sent a letter to the President informing him that Department of Navy employees were found to have deliberately falsified critical training records. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel...
OSC Resolves Whistleblower Retaliation Claims After Issuing Report to the National Science Foundation
OSC has resolved allegations that the National Science Foundation engaged in prohibited personnel practices when it retaliated against an employee . The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has resolved...
OSC Seeks Reemployment of Maine Postal Employee Removed from Job After Fulfilling Military Service
OSC sought reinstatement of a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee who was removed from his job upon completing his military service. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today...
OSC Seeks Disciplinary Action Under Hatch Act Against Postal Service Employee Who Ran for Partisan Political Office
OSC is seeking disciplinary action against a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee who ran for two partisan political offices. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is seeking disciplinary...
OSC Concludes Hatch Act Investigation of Kellyanne Conway, Finds Two Violations, and Refers Findings to President for Appropriate Disciplinary Action
OSC today sent an investigative report to President Donald Trump finding that Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act in two television interviews. The U.S. Office of...
OSC Issues Updated Hatch Act Guidance for Federal Employees After President Trump Becomes Candidate for Reelection
OSC issued updated Hatch Act guidance for federal employees now that President Trump has officially announced his candidacy for reelection in 2020. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today...
OSC Presses VA to Report on HIV Testing Methods After Whistleblower Exposes Slow Implementation of Latest Generation Testing Directive in Miami
OSC today asked the VA to report within 30 days on whether the VA has implemented the latest generation of HIV testing at veterans facilities nationwide. The U.S. Office of...
Court Agrees With OSC on Key Issue in Whistleblower Case, Sends Case Back to MSPB for Review
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has agreed with the argument OSC made in an amicus curiae brief against restricting whistleblower protections. The U.S. Court of Appeals...
OSC Welcomes Agency Change in Cattle Tick Preventive Treatment After Border Patrol Horses Fall Ill, Thanks Whistleblower for Disclosing the Problem
OSC today welcomed a change in cattle tick preventive treatment for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol horses after a whistleblower disclosed horse illness linked to a prior treatment The U.S....
OSC Welcomes Agency Change in Cattle Tick Preventive Treatment After Border Patrol Horses Fall Ill, Thanks Whistleblower for Disclosing the Problem
OSC today welcomed a change in cattle tick preventive treatment for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol horses after a whistleblower disclosed horse illness linked to a prior treatment The U.S....
OSC Welcomes Agency Change in Cattle Tick Preventive Treatment After Border Patrol Horses Fall Ill, Thanks Whistleblower for Disclosing the Problem
OSC today welcomed a change in cattle tick preventive treatment for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol horses after a whistleblower disclosed horse illness linked to a prior treatment The U.S....
OSC Issues Hatch Act Social Media Guidance in User -friendly Format, Announces Postal Service Employee Hatch Act Violation Over Social Media Use at Work
OSC today issued Hatch Act social media guidance for federal employees in a clear, easy ‐to‐understand format with real world examples and a new quick reference tool. The U.S. Office...
OSC Issues Guidance to Agencies on Implementing New Whistleblower Protections, Updates Prior Guidance on Non - disclosure and Employee Communications Monitoring Policies
OSC issued guidance to federal agencies on implementing newly enacted whistleblower protections. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today issued guidance to federal agencies on implementing newly enacted whistleblower...
OSC Finds Numerous Shortcomings in VA Response on Barriers to Life-saving Organ Transplants for Veterans
OSC noted numerous shortcomings and unanswered questions in the VA's response to whistleblower disclosures of limited access to life‐saving transplants. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today noted numerous...
OSC Urges VA to Remove Employee from Any Procurement Duties, Suitably Discipline All Employees for Serious Wrongdoing After Landscaping Materials Purchasing Misconduct Case
OSC notified President Trump that it is urging the VA to remove an employee from contact with her former division . The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today notified President...
OSC Finds Shortcomings in VA Response to Spinal Cord Care Problems at Manchester, N.H., VA Hospital
OSC notified President Trump of shortcomings in the VA's response to disclosures of wrongdoing including the development of serious spinal cord disease as a result of clinical neglect. The Office...
Office of Special Counsel Finds Despite Progress, Peace Corps Lacks Certain Sexual Assault Prevention Measures, Encourages Clear Policies to Protect Volunteers
OSC concluded that despite significant progress, the Peace Corps has failed to implement certain sexual assault prevention measures and encouraged clearer policies and training. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel...
Department of Defense Whistleblower, Office of Special Counsel Prompt Fix to Overly Restrictive Army Policy
A DoD whistleblower disclosure to OSC prompted a DoD investigation and agency action to reverse an impermissibly strict Army policy. A Department of Defense (DoD) whistleblower disclosure to the U.S....