Sunday Read: National Whistleblower Day 2024 Sum Up
National Whistleblower Center (NWC) reached a new pinnacle at this year’s National Whistleblower Appreciation Day celebration in Washington, D.C. on July 30th. The high caliber of the speakers included respected U.S. Congressmen, renowned whistleblowers and advocates from around the world who reflected on whistleblowing history, and discuss the importance of establishing more policies in the future.
In this Sunday Read, we highlight some of the many standout moments, presenters, and panelists of this 11th annual event along with perspectives on the present and future of whistleblowing.
NWC Leadership Sets the Tone
The day opened with remarks from NWC leaders, including Co-Founder and President Michael Kohn and Executive Director Siri Turner. Though Turner had addressed attendees in prior years, 2024 marked her first time as a lawyer admitted to the Supreme Court Bar, where she can act as counsel of record for briefs submitted by NWC.
“I am especially thrilled that this National Whistleblower Appreciation Day we are standing beside so many other whistleblower civil society groups from across the country and from across the world,” Turner said from the Russell Senate Office Building. “Our solidarity with whistleblowers and with each other is the powerful ode to our shared reverence for the sacrifices that whistleblowers go through, and our shared commitment in our fight against corruption and wrongdoing everywhere.”
The groups represented included:
- Government Accountability Project
- Transparency International
- Project on Government Oversight
- Whistleblowers of America
- Empower Oversight
- The Anti-Fraud Coalition
- Whistleblowers Aid
- The Lamplighter Project
- Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety
Throughout the event, moderators FBI whistleblower Jane Turner and Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower Toni Savage recognized many individual whistleblowers in attendance at the event, explaining what they blew the whistle on and thanking them for their bravery.
Jane Turner, who is also director and chair of NWC’s Whistleblower Leadership Council and a Member of its Board of Directors, noted their impact and reminded the audience to keep them front of mind.
“It is your time to keep the fire going,” she said. “People of integrity and conscience need your support. Embrace them. Raise them up.”
An International Perspective Provides a Look to the Sea
Perspectives from Mexico also enlightened the room by sharing their experiences and perspectives on whistleblower trends and discuss how our national neighbor to the south is strengthening its programs.
María de los Ángeles Estrada Gonzalez, an anti-corruption attorney based in Mexico City, said she and her colleagues are willing to do “whatever possible to draft a Mexican law that recognizes, protects, rewards, and honors whistleblowers” in her country. Gonzalez serves as the Executive Director of the Transparency, Anticorruption, and Digitalization Initiative at the School of Social Sciences and Government, and as an Administrative Law and Anti-corruption professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey.
She used part of her time to call attention to environmental harm being done to the environment and specifically, ocean ecosystems.
“In recent years, the importance of whistleblowers has extended into a critical, but less visible area, such as the exploration and exploitation of the deep sea,” said Ángeles Gonzalez, who is also a Senior Advisor at the NWC and a member of the Selection Commission for the Citizen Participation Committee within Mexico’s National Anticorruption System for the term 2021–2024. “The vast ocean floor is rich in minerals and is essential for technologies that drive our modern world. However, this frontier is also home to fragile ecosystems. The rush to exploit these resources threatens to cause irreparable damage to our planet.”
She also stressed that the International Seabed Authority, which governs deep sea mining, may be compromised and awarding contracts to unethical and malicious actors.
“It is imperative that international authorities, like the International Seabed Authority, implement comprehensive whistleblower policies,” said Ángeles Gonzalez, “including provisions for anonymity, protection from retaliation and clear procedures for reporting misconduct.”
Learn more about oceanic risks here.
U.S. Government Support Remains Steadfast
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) provided a high-energy address, praising the work of Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, who received the NWC’s first Lifetime Achievement Award for his bravery in exposing Big Tobacco corrupt and deceptive practices.
Wyden soon redirected his words to the audience.
“Say that you’re not going to leave the truth behind and that you’re constantly going to fight for the public interest,” said Wyden, who is also Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “And as long as I’m in public service, I want you to know at the top of my list is going to be giving whistleblowers the tools to protect the American people.”
The procession was followed by an address from Senator Charles “Chuck” Grassley (R-IA). A longtime supporter of the practice of whistleblowing and a strategic ally of the NWC, Sen. Grassley led the successful bipartisan update in 1986 to the False Claims Act.
“Dating back to the Revolutionary War, as I just told you, the first whistleblowers reported fraud and misconduct,” said Sen. Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Whistleblower Caucus. “Our Founding Fathers knew the importance of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. As I stand here today in July 2024 — a long way’s away from the Revolutionary War — the same sentiment remains and must remain.”
Further Insight and A Look Forward
Additional speakers included former employees of Boeing, ExxonMobil, a local Georgia police department, and other organizations who blew the whistle on their former employers for various wrongdoing such as faulty manufacturing, fraud, and sexual misconduct.
On July 31, just a day after this year’s National Whistleblower Day celebration, a resolution designating July 30 as “National Whistleblower Appreciation Day” was unanimously agreed to by the Senate. The resolution encourages each federal agency to recognize the day by sharing the stories of the agency’s own whistleblowers and informing their employees about their right to blow the whistle.
NWC annually organizes a campaign calling for the permanent recognition of National Whistleblower Day. NWC believes President Biden should sign an executive order permanently establishing National Whistleblower Day and requiring all federal agencies to recognize the day.
C-SPAN coverage of the full National Whistleblower Day event is available here.
Break a Mental Sweat with the NWC
National Whistleblower Day may be over, but there is a special night ahead! On August 19th, NWC will host its monthly Bar Trivia fundraiser!
The fun begins at 6 PM ET at Sudhouse DC (1340 U Street NW). Broaden your network and put your knowledge to work. Everyone will enjoy happy hour-priced food and drink, invaluable networking opportunities and the winners will go home with gift cards, books, and other fun prizes. Get your tickets on Eventbrite today.
Support NWC
NWC fights to bolster whistleblower programs and raise awareness about the value of whistleblowers. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit our work is made possible with the support of our generous donors. Please consider donating $100 today to help us continue to educate the public about whistleblower experiences and the role whistleblowers play in putting an end to fraud and money laundering. Donors of $100 or more will receive a copy of Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right.
This story was written by Justin Smulison, a professional writer, podcaster, and event host based in New York.
