The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: PegLeg45 on November 29, 2012, 02:09:41 PM
-
From David Codrea:
‘Long overdue’ Whistleblower Protection Act signed into law
President Barack Obama signed S. 743, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, the White House Office of the Press Secretary announced Tuesday.
Per the press release, the act “amends whistleblower protections for Federal employees by: clarifying the scope of protected disclosures; tightening requirements for non-disclosure agreements; expanding the penalties imposed for violating whistleblower protections; and establishing a Whistleblower Protection Ombudsmen in certain agencies … “
It’s being hailed by government watchdog groups as “long overdue.”
----------------------------
“What I am specifically interested in about this whistleblower bill is any unintended consequences,” Gun Rights Examiner replied to the insider source who forwarded the link to the GAP post. “Is this intended to keep misdeeds ‘all in the family,’ so going outside to journalists will now be less likely?
“What effects will that have on information being suppressed so the public never finds out about it? What would have happened had this been in effect for the Fast and Furious guys? And what is the likely impact on future Clean Up ATF [whistleblower website] dialogue?" the source was asked.
“The biggest thing this does is to encourage whistleblowers to come forward,” the source replied, addressing those concerns and more. “The way things were, whistleblowers basically had zero real protections and when they were retaliated against (which almost all are), it had a chilling effect on anyone thinking about coming forward regarding government waste, fraud, or abuse in the future.
http://www.examiner.com/article/long-overdue-whistleblower-protection-act-signed-into-law
-
This is ironic considering that the Obama administration has the worst record of abusing whistleblowers.
-
This is ironic considering that the Obama administration has the worst record of abusing whistleblowers.
Caught that too? ;D ;D
-
Kind of like the announcement last week that Venezuela was joining the UN Human Rights commission.
-
I REALLY could have used this a few years ago when I turned in an entire department for corruption.... sigh....
;)
Andy
-
I REALLY could have used this a few years ago when I turned in an entire department for corruption.... sigh....
;)
Andy
The fact that you did it regardless is a testament to your character Andy!
-
As with most things it DC, it is not what we all think it is, especially from its name. They always label things with a marketing plan in mind, so yeah, this probably has a lot less to do with protection of the blower, and a lot more protecting the blowee.
-
As with most things it DC, it is not what we all think it is, especially from its name. They always label things with a marketing plan in mind, so yeah, this probably has a lot less to do with protection of the blower, and a lot more protecting the blowee.
Clinton gets off again. ;D
-
Clinton gets off again. ;D
I see what you did there! 8)
-
Clinton gets off again. ;D
(golf clap)
-
Clinton gets off again. ;D
You been talkin' to Monica again?? :o :o :o
-
When I said , "blow", I meant, "suck".
-
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/have-you-heard-about-the-quietly-released-obama-memo-on-insider-threat-policy/
In what some might consider an increasingly growing trend of releasing information just before holidays or the late on Friday afternoon, the White House has yet again quietly published a memo from President Barack Obama, laying out guidelines for executive agencies to establish “effective insider threat programs.”
The presidential memorandum issued on Nov. 21 — the day before Thanksgiving — is called “National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs.” Here’s what the relatively short memo said (Note: Emphasis added):
This Presidential Memorandum transmits the National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs (Minimum Standards) to provide direction and guidance to promote the development of effective insider threat programs within departments and agencies to deter, detect, and mitigate actions by employees who may represent a threat to national security. These threats encompass potential espionage, violent acts against the Government or the Nation, and unauthorized disclosure of classified information, including the vast amounts of classified data available on interconnected United States Government computer networks and systems.
The Minimum Standards provide departments and agencies with the minimum elements necessary to establish effective insider threat programs. These elements include the capability to gather, integrate, and centrally analyze and respond to key threat-related information; monitor employee use of classified networks; provide the workforce with insider threat awareness training; and protect the civil liberties and privacy of all personnel.
The resulting insider threat capabilities will strengthen the protection of classified information across the executive branch and reinforce our defenses against both adversaries and insiders who misuse their access and endanger our national security.
BARACK OBAMA
The memo itself, which places more emphasis on the Insider Threat Task Force established through an Executive Order signed in October 2011, has seen little mainstream media attention. Some speculate though that the timing of the memo might have had something to do with a story that has been well covered this week: the pretrial of Army private Bradley Manning, who is accused of leaking classified information to Wikileaks. Manning, who has been imprisoned since May 2010, will begin his formal hearing Dec. 10.
Jessleyn Radack with the blog the Daily Kos wrote because agencies generally have their own policies regarding classified information, establishing insider threat programs “will more likely be used as a pretext for targeting whistleblowers who are – as [whistleblower Thomas] Drake did – using proper channels to report government waste, fraud, abuse, illegality, mismanagement, or dangers to health and public safety than they will be used to stop actual threats to national security.”
Radack went on to write that she believes the government could have more security if it “focus[ed] its considerable energy and resources on curbing overclassification rather than targeting employees with “programs” that will no doubt chill legitimate speech activities and go after those who dare to blow whistle.”
Interestingly enough, just this week Obama signed a bill that would afford greater protection to federal employees who expose fraud, waste and abuse in government operations. This is a loophole that specifies that whistle-blowers were only protected when they were the first to report misconduct.
The New York Times has pointed out in the past that the Obama administration has prosecuted more government officials for leaking information to the press than any other administration combined.
In addition to some thinking the timing of the memo was done in light of Manning’s looming trial, others worry more generally about its ambiguity. Doug Hagmann with the Northeast Intelligence Network published a column in the Canada Free Press, in which he wrote “there appears to be a deliberate lack of specificity concerning the exact elements that constitute such an “insider threat.”
But that’s not all, Hagmann goes on to analyze Obama’s intention for including the word “centrally” — as part of “centrally analyze [...] threat-related information” He considers this word indicative of what he believes is Obama’s agenda of “the greatest consolidation of power and control under the Executive branch of the government in recent U.S. history.”
Hagmann, like Radack, pointed out that there are measures in place to address insider threats to the government and national security.
This new system being established in the memo, Hagmann calls “the very essence of ‘Big Brother’ within the government itself.”
-
Got the link via Chris Woodard of Gun Rights Examiner:
http://noisyroom.net/blog/2012/12/02/nsa-whistleblower-everyone-in-us-under-virtual-surveillance-all-info-stored-no-matter-the-post/
-
Just cause it's in place doesn't mean it will work! There are tons of subtle and not so ways to get wb's.
Richard