Whistleblowers Claim Victory in Dispute with Army Corps

The National Whistleblowers Center is claiming victory in its dispute with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, saying the agency's "attempt to censor Bunnatine (Bunny) H. Greenhouse has backfired."

As the Federal Diary blog reported earlier this week, just hours after Greenhouse testified in favor of whistleblower protection legislation at a congressional hearing last week, was told she should not testify again without submitting her testimony to corps officials for approval in advance, according to her lawyers at the whistleblowers center.

Greenhouse is a well-known whistleblower because she complained about Pentagon contracting issues during the run-up to the Iraq war.

On Tuesday, her lawyers sent a letter of protest to President Obama and asked the public to do the same. Late yesterday, “Greenhouse was again emailed, this time advising that she did not have to comply with the censorship requirements.

"This in an important victory,” said Michael Kohn, president of the National Whistleblowers Center and an attorney for Greenhouse. “Federal works have a right to tell Congress what's on their mind without having to face government censorship."

In her own letter to supporters on Tuesday, Greenhouse said she appeared before a House committee on her own, unpaid time.

“I appeared at the invitation of Congress, to explain what happened when I reported improprieties surrounding the awarding of contracts to Halliburton-KBR just prior to the invasion of Iraq,” she wrote. “The restriction imposed upon my right and the right of other federal employees to testify before Congress in our personal capacity free from restrain and censorship must stop now!”

She and the whistleblowers center used the opportunity to push for support of the whistleblower protection legislation now before Congress.

“The newest attempt to silence me is the kind of retaliation that frightens government employees,” she said. “Federal employees have no protection when up against powerful special interests, who can intimidate and prevent federal employees from enforcing the law. This is why Securities and Exchange Commission employees are afraid to police Wall Street. This is why Food and Drug Administration employees are afraid to police powerful pharmaceutical companies. This is why food safety inspectors are afraid to police powerful agri-business.”

By Eric Pianin  |  May 22, 2009; 4:35 PM ET
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