Scandals set to explode next week on Capitol Hill

Linda Lewis:

"Next week, an avalanche of scandals will descend on Capitol Hill as dozens, and possibly hundreds, of government whistleblowers simultaneously deliver to Congress disclosures of government waste, fraud and abuse, including many that have never been told publicly. The mass disclosure of wrongoing is unprecendented and sure to create consternation among administration officials.

Whistleblowers are coming from all over the country to Washington, D.C., to take part in the Congressional tribunal, and other activities, both public and private. DKos readers who live in the DC area, will have a rare opportunity to support their your local whistleblowers, including DKos own Jesselyn Radack), at a book signing scheduled for Monday evening (May 14). New and familiar faces are among those participating in discussion panels to be broadcast Monday on CSPAN. The familiar faces include Jeffrey Wigand, the "Insider," and Coleen Rowley, TIME Magazine's Person of the Year.

Authors scheduled to appear at the book signing include whistleblowers Jesselyn Radack ("Canary in the Coalmine"), Mike German ("Think Like a Terrorist") Darlene Fitzgerald ("BorderGate") and Arthuretta Martin ("Speaking on Success"). Authors of books on whistleblowing also will be present, including Steve Kohn :"Concepts and Procedures in Whistleblower Law," Tom Devine (The Whistleblower's Survival Guide") and Scott Harrington ("Pharmacology and the Nursing Process," which includes a chapter on whistleblowing). Often, whistleblowers suffer economic losses from reporting official wrongdoing. Buying their books is one way citizens can express support for those who display integrity in serving the public.

The activities are part of "Whistleblower Week in Washington," (see here and here) which has the support of members of the Make It Safe Coalition, a coalition of nonprofit organizations and individual whistleblowers that are working to convince Congress to pass stronger whistleblower protections.

AGENDA - MONDAY, MAY 14

10:30am – 11:30am
Whistleblower Protection Legislation
Russell Senate Caucus Room, SR 325
Tom Devine, GAP Legal Director
Joan Claybrook, President, Public Citizen
Staff, Senate Homeland Security
Staff, Office of Repr Todd Platts
Bogdan Dzakovic, Former FAA
Darlene Fitzgerald, U.S. Customs Whistleblower

11:30am – 12:30pm
Congressional Oversight of the FBI
Russell Senate Office Building Caucus Room, SR 325

Steve Kohn, President, National Whistleblower Center
Senator Charles Grassley
Coleen Rowley, TIME Person of the Year, former FBI
Michael German, ACLU, Former FBI

12:30pm – 2:00pm
Luncheon Panel on Scientific Integrity
Russell Senate Office Building Caucus Room, SR 325
Mark Cohen, GAP Food and Drug Safety Director
Jeffrey Wigand, "The Insider"
Susan Wood, former Dir, FDA Women’s Health
Rick Piltz, former U.S. Climate Change Office
Francesca Grifo, Union of Concerned Scientists

2:00pm – 3:00pm:
False Claims Act: Successes & Challenges Ahead
Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 342

Joseph E.B. White, TAF
Stephen D. Altman, former DOJ
Janet Chandler, Ph.D., U.S. Supreme Court Victor
Robert L. Vogel, False Claims Act Qui Tam Attorney

3:00pm – 4:00pm
Oversight of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel
Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 342

Adam Miles, GAP Legislative Representative
Debbie Katz, Katz, Marshal and Banks
Natresha Dawson, Office of Special Counsel (OSC) whistleblower
Gabe Bruno, Former FAA Manager
Beth Daley, Director of Investigations, Project on Government Oversight
Representative from OSC (invited)

5:00pm – 6:00pm
Book-Signing
The Warehouse Arts Center
1017 7th Street NW
Washington, DC (across from the Convention Center)

and

"My organization, Whistleblowers USA, is one of more than 40 supporting next weeks effort and the Make It Safe Campaign. Some groups you may know better include Sibel's group, the NSWBC. Then, there's the NoFEAR Institute/Coalition. There are big nonprofits, like Public Citizen, and the Government Accountability Project.

Next week's event was close-held until now for the simple reason that the details took a while to hammer out between Congress and so many groups. Even so, the planning has been ongoing for only about two months.

Any day next week is sure to have something worth catching. It really depends on your interests. But, if it's new disclosures you want to hear, go on Tuesday."

Sibel will apparently be there too