1/26/2017 Federal Whistleblower Protections May Face Greatest Test Yet Law360 Portfolio Media. Inc. | 111 West 19th Street, 5th floor | New York, NY 10011 | www.law360.com Phone: +1 646 783 7100 | Fax: +1 646 783 7161 |
[email protected] Federal Whistleblower Protections May Face Greatest Test Yet By Debra Katz and Aaron Blacksberg, Katz Marshall & Banks LLP Law360, New York (January 25, 2017, 5:41 PM EST) In its first days, the Trump administration has ordered media and social media blackouts at several federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While these orders may turn out to be normal pains of transition we fear that may not be the case given the antipathy President Donald Trump and other administration officials have expressed toward climate change advocates and scientists. This may be the first salvo in a campaign to gag government employees, particularly scientists, and deter or outright prevent them from speaking out on matters of public importance. Debra S. Katz This moment provides an important opportunity for federal employees, along with members of the legal profession, media and general public, to become better acquainted with federal employee whistleblower protections. As discussed below, federal employees are legally protected from retaliation, under certain circumstances, for speaking to members of the media. And federal agencies who attempt to gag employees may violate the law in doing so. Overview of Federal Employee Whistleblower Protections Law Aaron D.