Tell Your Senators to Oppose Pension-Stripping Bill
The following Action Alert was issued by National Whistleblowers Center today. Every time when I think things couldn’t possibly get any worse, I’m proven wrong and they actually do get worse, and here is a good example: our so called representatives are planning to increase the federal government’s unchecked powers by giving them the right to strip national security whistleblowers of their pensions. In other words, they are bending over backwards to make it easier for federal agencies to punish, penalize and persecute whistleblowers for doing the right thing. Please help our whistleblowers by calling your senators and disseminating the following alert. We need your support and thank you for all you do.
Sibel Edmonds
Dear Whistleblower Supporters:
National security whistleblowers are under attack and need your help now! The Senate Intelligence Committee has approved an anti-whistleblower bill. The committee voted to give the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the heads of other agencies the power to strip whistleblowers of their pensions.
Section 403 of the Intelligence Authorization Act authorizes these officials to strip whistleblowers of their hard-earned federal pensions, simply by being accused, not convicted, of leaking classified information. Every whistleblower will be at risk because ALL most likely will be accused of making improper disclosures. We urge you to join us in opposing S.719 until Section 403 is cut.
TAKE ACTION! Protect whistleblowers’ pensions!
Here’s how Section 403 works. The head of an employee’s agency can simply accuse a whistleblower of leaking classified information and that whistleblower can automatically be stripped of their federal pension, even after they retire.
The whistleblowers who lose their pensions will not be able to take their case to court. Instead, they will be forced to use the DNI’s administrative procedures to try to defend themselves. In other words, the DNI will be the prosecutor, the judge and the jury to strip pensions from public servants.
TAKE ACTION! Time is of the Essence!
Stripping pensions based on accusations of classified leaks will be yet another way that the government can legally retaliate against whistleblowers. This is an incredible threat and will have a massive chilling effect on the willingness of employees to expose waste, fraud, and abuse.
TAKE ACTION! Tell your senators to support the Wyden hold!
We are not alone in opposing this unprecedented retaliatory law. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has placed a public hold on S.719 until the anti-whistleblower provision is cut. He made a powerful statement before the Senate explaining why Section 403 is so dangerous.
For more information, tune into Boiling Frogs where Stephen M. Kohn, Executive Director of the National Whistleblowers Center, is interviewed by FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds and WBRU Radio Host Peter B. Collins on the pension-stripping provision.
PASS THIS ALERT TO A FRIEND! Please take action and pass this alert on to at least one co-worker, friend, or family member.
Sincerely,
Jane Turner
Former FBI Special Agent, 25-Year Veteran
Director of FBI Oversight, National Whistleblowers Center
Sibel Edmonds
Former FBI translator
Founder National Security Whistleblowers Coalition
On March 3, 2012, Coleen Rowley attended the 3rd and final day of the Nobel Peace Forum in Minneapolis, and was able to interview Oslo-based long-time Secretary of the Nobel Committee Geir Lundestad after he spoke at a Forum event at Augsburg College. Coleen had helped draft this “Petition (to) Investigate Betrayal of the Nobel Peace Prize” a few days earlier, which has now gathered the endorsements of over 40 peace organizations. Yesterday she sent me her very sobering article and video clip from that interview. Here are a few important excerpts and the video:
