US Senator Opens Email Address For Government Whistleblowers

A change in duties, suspended security clearance, or isolation from other employees—these are just some of the types of reprisals federal whistleblowers have suffered for exposing fraud to Congress.

On June 11, 2015, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee, held a hearing on retaliation experienced by federal employees for reporting government waste, fraud, and abuse.

Senator Johnson, emphasizing the importance of protecting whistleblowers who report fraud to Congress, has created an email address, whistleblower@ronjohnson.senate.gov, to ensure that whistleblowing government employees have a clear line of communication to Congress.

“These men and women take great risk to stand up and expose wrongdoing,” said Johnson. “They sacrifice their careers, their reputations and often their financial security. Congress—and this committee in particular—must support federal whistleblowers and ensure that they are adequately protected from retaliation.”

Whistleblowers play a valuable role in fighting waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensuring the financial health of our nation. According to a 2013 report prepared by the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund, the federal government recovers more than $20 for every dollar it spends to pursue whistleblower cases.

According to Johnson, more than 130 whistleblowers have reported waste, fraud, and abuse in 2015 through his Senate-sponsored email address.

Tagged: Whistleblower Laws (Federal)