On behalf of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger today released the following statement in honor of National Whistleblower Appreciation Day (NWAD):
“For the past ten years, the Senate has unanimously recognized July 30th as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, a bipartisan initiative led by Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus Co‐Chairs Charles Grassley and Ron Wyden. This resolution has played a central role in fostering a culture of appreciation for whistleblowers. I thank all Caucus members for their continued leadership, and recently sent a letter to both houses of Congress requesting a bill to permanently designate this important day moving forward.
“I would also like to thank Steve Kohn and the team at the National Whistleblower Center for their tireless efforts to encourage NWAD participation and for organizing events to recognize the contributions of whistleblowers.
“As the head of the Office of Special Counsel, I see every day the courage of federal employee whistleblowers who come forward and shine a light on government wrongdoing. I am proud to head an agency whose mission is not only to ensure whistleblower allegations are investigated and problems fixed, but also that whistleblowers are protected from retaliation. Federal employee whistleblowers who shed light on government misconduct are encouraged to continue to step forward to file their claims with OSC. OSC plays an integral role in ensuring that federal employees have a voice to report government fraud, waste, dangers, and other misconduct.
“Americans have always appreciated whistleblowers' conviction. The very first whistleblower law was passed by the Continental Congress on July 30, 1778. More recently, courageous Americans have uncovered terrible injustices that went on for too many years.
“For example, today I honor Peter Buxtun, a brave whistleblower who exposed the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study. Mr. Buxtun sadly passed away in May. The study he exposed, conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service, involved hundreds of Black men in the South suffering from syphilis. Unbeknownst to them, these subjects were observed but not properly treated. Penicillin, a widely available and proven treatment for syphilis, was intentionally withheld. After expressing his apprehensions about the study internally, Mr. Buxtun then provided details to reporters, culminating in an exposé published by the Associated Press in 1972.
“I would also like to honor the brave athlete whistleblowers who came forward to expose years of sexual misconduct by Larry Nassar, the disgraced gymnastics trainer and doctor who used his positions to assault hundreds of victims in the 1990s and 2000s. With the Summer 2024 Olympics underway, these brave women deserve our admiration for helping ensure the next generation of gymnasts are better protected. I also applaud the courageous women who came forward and blew the whistle on emotional and sexual abuse prevalent for years in the National Women's Soccer League. Reforms and programs put in place as a result of these brave whistleblowers' actions are devoted to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for athletes of all ages.
“While the damage from physical or emotional abuse can never be undone, the individuals who blew the whistle made a positive impact by telling their stories. Mr. Buxtun's disclosures led to congressional hearings, and ultimately, a class-action lawsuit that benefited survivors of the study and their heirs. Because of Rachael Denhollander and other brave gymnasts who came forward, a predator was sentenced to life in prison and, earlier this year, the Justice Department acknowledged, and paid settlements for serious governmental failures. And soccer player disclosures of sexual misconduct led to the Yates Report, the firing of coaches, and other reforms.
“On National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, we honor these heroes and all whistleblowers who come forward to expose wrongdoing and protect others from harm. And it is past time to make NWAD permanent."
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