The ACLU's New Report on FBI Whistleblowers, Disavowed: The Government's Unchecked Retaliation Against National Security Whistleblowers FILE A COMPLAINT Report a national security breach >> BACKGROUND ON WHISTLEBLOWERS > At the expense of safety > Retaliating against whistleblowers > Invoking "state secrets" privilege > Covering government misconduct LEARN MORE > Sibel Edmonds v. Department of Justice: A Patriot Silenced, Fighting to Keep America Safe

The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Congress to enact stronger protections for whistleblowers, especially those who work in the national security arena. There is a disturbing and systematic pattern of government retaliation against employees who uncover weaknesses or abuses in our national security apparatus. This pattern of retaliation hurts not only the whistleblowers retaliated against, but the American public. The public has a right to know about government wrongdoing and security breaches.

Many employees in national security agencies blow the whistle at their peril. They find no protection in the vast patchwork of laws designed to protect whistleblowers. Whistleblowers often find themselves sidelined, without a security clearance, without a job, discredited, the victim of a smear campaign, investigated, labeled crazy, a bad team player, a liar, isolated.

On May 14, 2007, the American Civil Liberties Union released its report, Disavowed: The Government's Unchecked Retaliation Against National Security Whistleblowers. The report highlights the lack of real legal protection for national security whistleblowers. The whistleblowers profiled in the report serve as concrete, real-life examples of what happens when national security whistleblowers are left unprotected from retaliation. Learn More >>

NEWS RELEASES
> New ACLU Report Sheds Light on Lack of Protection for National Security Whistleblowers (5/14/2007)
> ACLU Says National Security Whistleblower Protections Lacking (2/14/2006)
> FBI Retaliated Against National Security Whistleblower (12/4/2005)
> Supreme Court Denies Review in FBI Whistleblower Case (11/28/2005)
> High Court Urged to Review Whistleblower Case (8/4/2005)
> ACLU Sues Chertoff Over Free Speech Rights (4/21/2005)
> Secrecy Used to Avoid Accountability (4/21/2005)
> ACLU Files Motion to Open Hearing (4/20/2005)
> Groups Demand to End Government Silencing (1/26/2005)
> FBI Translator Fired for Reporting Misconduct (1/14/2005)
> Government Abuses "States Secrets Privilege" (1/12/2005)

OFF-SITE LINKS
> Letter to Attorney General, from Senators Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley (pdf)
> Daniel Ellsberg's Truth-Telling Project
> POGO vs. Ashcroft, the retroactive classification suit
> Just a Citizen, Sibel Edmonds' web site about her case
> Coalition of 9/11 Families

OTHER WHISTLEBLOWER SUPPORTERS
> Government Accountability Project
> The Project on Government Oversight