Sunday Read: 2023 Recap
It’s been a busy year for the National Whistleblower Center (NWC)! There is a lot to catch up on.
If you didn’t get a chance to comb through it all: We get it. NWC has made so many strides forward this year for everything to do with whistleblowing — so we’ve got you covered with this recap.
In this Sunday Read we’ve complied just some accomplishments from 2023. Here are our highlights from the year:
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Outreach
Okay, so maybe it’s a cheat, but we have to mention the passage of the AML Whistleblower Improvement Act at the close of 2022. With it followed the drafting of whistleblower legislation for U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, IRS, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the FCA. Throughout 2023, NWC has advocated for the Treasury Department to propose rules for their new whistleblower program. We look forward to commenting on these rules in 2024.
Blown Away by Books
Founder and Chairman of National Whistleblower Center, Stephen Kohn, released a book in 2023: Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right.
This launch has already taken the whistleblowing world by storm and rightfully so. Real world problems require real world solutions and Stephen Kohn understands how to detail this application step by step. The book was recognized with a Kirkus Reward, and you can read their glowing review here.
Still unsure? Maybe helping National Whistleblower Center will pique your interest — All book sale proceeds are donated to NWC, and anyone who donates over $50 is eligible for a complimentary copy of the Rules.
National Whistleblower Day
Can you believe it’s been ten years already? Over a decade of resolutions by the United States Senate, and actions by federal agencies accepting and adopting whistleblowing as a core component in anti-corruption and employee rights, have fueled the expansion of the whistleblower recognition to a global scale. NWC’s relentless efforts to recognize whistleblowers through celebrating National Whistleblower Day (NWD) for over a decade, has fostered greater awareness and education about how to support whistleblowers in their significant role in doing what’s right.
NWC hosted NWD on Capitol Hill, with an afterparty in Georgetown. Over 200 people celebrated, with the addition of District of Columbia mayor Muriel Bowser recognizing National Whistleblower Day for the first time in her tenure!
This year’s celebration was just one step closer to making NWD permanent. Take a look at our campaign aiming for federal observance. Congress has received over 14,000 letters so far — so take a moment to add your voice today.
Expressing Exxon Expectations
NWC filed three amicus curiae briefs this year. Two briefs worked to protect the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and False Claims Act (FCA) from being watered down, while the third was an amicus in a Third Circuit case concerning whistleblowers at Exxon Mobil and upholding the call for their preliminary reinstatement. There is nothing quite like ensuring corporate accountability.
Once more, we showcased our commitment to combatting climate corruption. Please join us by checking out our Climate Corruption Campaign today.
The 10th Conference of the State Parties
A three-person delegation headed down to Atlanta to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and advocated, advocated, advocated. NWC had access to an international audience and took the opportunity to spread the word and connect with global organizations — pursuing the goal of anti-corruption and whistleblower protections.
At the conference, NWC was recognized for our work in fighting environmental corruption and made waves with our efforts to highlight reward programs, urging states parties to include whistleblower compensation in all conversations on anti-corruption.
The experience reminded us of our connections to the global community this year, like the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Since 2008, NWC has partnered on this premier professional exchange program from the U.S. Department of State to give presentations to visiting foreign leaders. NWC has provided training to delegates from over 80 countries in the program, and in 2023 alone we presented IVLP seminars to delegates from 30 countries — reaching anti-corruption advocates from far and wide.
Support NWC
New year’s calls for new needs. All of the results mentioned above are real and reachable — with your support. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all of this amazing work is made possible with the support of our generous donors. To keep pushing forward in the new year, please consider donating $50 today to help us continue our important efforts for whistleblowers worldwide.
This Sunday Read was written by Janae Torres, Administrative Assistant at National Whistleblower Center.
