The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit restored the full strength of the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) for federal employees. The court overturned the firing of a federal air marshal who warned that the TSA planned to cancel Marshal coverage during a 2003 al Qaeda terrorism plot. Marshal Robert MacLean revealed a mistake corrected by the TSA.
“This victory restores access to justice for a modern, unsung hero whose rights have been out in the cold for seven years. Robert MacLean may well have prevented a more ambitious rerun attack of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack, when the government was about to go AWOL. Legally, the Federal Circuit restored enforceability for the Whistleblower Protection Act’s public free speech rights,” said MacLean’s lawyer. (Government Accountability Project, April 29, 2013, by Dylan Blaylock)
In the meantime, whistleblowers gained more traction with the release of the film “War on Whistleblowers.” Slated for national distribution, the film recognizes Obama’s actions to protect whistleblower rights and questions why the President conversely allows the Justice Department to aggressively prosecute whistleblowers accused of national security leaks. (The Washington Post, April 23, 2013, by Joe Davidson) -db