Va Whistleblowers

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) whistleblower protection, focusing on the: (1) actions VA has taken since October 29, 1994--the enactment of the 1994 Whistleblower Protection Act amendments--to inform its employees about their rights to protection against reprisal when reporting misconduct; (2) extent to which VA employees are aware of their rights to such protection; (3) extent to which VA employees are willing to report misconduct in VA operations, should they become aware of it; and (4) number and disposition of whistleblower reprisal complaints filed by VA employees with agencies responsible for providing whistleblower protection.

Highly publicized cases involving whistleblowers including Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and WikiLeaks have brought whistleblowing to the public's attention in recent years. It has gained further attention in the "Me Too" era, as whistleblowers have exposed numerous cases of misconduct among powerful men in the entertainment industry and beyond. Whether whistleblowing is an inherently positive practice and how whistleblowers should be protected and compensated for their deeds are widely debated. Through diverse perspectives from authoritative voices, readers will gain an understanding of the practice of whistleblowing, the laws related to it, and its place in democratic society.

GGD-00-70 Whistleblower Protection: VA Did Little Until Recently to Inform Employees About Their Rights