February 27 , 2006 –A man Iowa Senator Charles E. Grassley called “our most famous whistleblower,” Mr. Ernie Fitzgerald, was honored today by the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General at a retirement ceremony held in the Senate Finance Committee Hearing Room.

During the ceremony, Acting DoD Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble presented Mr. Fitzgerald with the DoD IG’s Distinguished Civilian Service Medal for his unwavering commitment to maintaining rigorous cost accounting standards in the acquisition process and for service rendered to his country during his 42-year career with the Air Force.

“To Ernie, saving the taxpayers’ money was never just a goal,” Senator Grassley said as he addressed those in attendance. “It was more than that. It was more like a calling.  It was a matter of faith to him – keeping the faith with taxpayers.  Stopping waste was a religion to Ernie. He did everything in his power each day to ensure that not a penny was wasted and every cent was properly accounted for.”

Senator Grassley went on to explain how Mr. Fitzgerald’s journey as a whistleblower began on March 13, 1968, when he appeared before the Joint Economic Committee chaired by then-Senator William Proxmire to testify on the C-5 transport program.  “He did the unthinkable,” Senator Grassley said. “He ‘committed truth.’ He told the Congress about the $2 billion C-5 cost overrun.”

Acting DoD Inspector General Gimble also praised Mr. Fitzgerald prior to presenting him with the DoD IG’s Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.

“Mr. Fitzgerald’s fight to retain his job after blowing the whistle on cost overruns on the C-5 aircraft program was a landmark moment in the effort to protect the rights of whistleblowers,” Mr. Gimble said.  

 Mr. Gimble noted that Mr. James McVay, Deputy Special Counsel at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, stated at a recent congressional hearing on national security whistleblowers, that Mr. Fitzgerald’s whistle-blowing and subsequent court case played an important role in the enactment of the Civil Service Reform Act, a precursor to the Whistle Blower Protection Act.

“The willingness of individuals like Mr. Fitzgerald to come forward serves as an important resource in the oversight of the Department of Defense by helping Congress and the Office of the Inspector General to identify potential deficiencies in Defense programs and operations, or potential misconduct by federal employees and contractors,” Mr. Gimble said.

As Management Systems Deputy for the Department of the Air Force, Mr. Fitzgerald was responsible for the development of improved management controls, specifically information control systems, economic cost effectiveness analysis, statistical programs and analysis, cost estimating and cost analysis and productivity enhancement and measurement.

Mr. Fitzgerald is the author of two books, The High Priest of Waste and The Pentagonists, which testify to his commitment to making government programs more efficient and effective.  He also worked with the staff of Senator Grassley on a number of issues, including a review of controls over vendor payments by the Department of Defense.  The details of that review are contained in the 1998 Staff Report of Joint Review of Internal Controls at Department of Defense.

Mr. Fitzgerald has received numerous awards including: the ACLU Judge Henry T. Edgerton Award for outstanding contribution to civil liberties (1967); the Marshall Engineers and Scientists Associations Award in appreciation for “dedicated and courageous actions taken in behalf of the American taxpayer” (1977): the Society of Professional Journalists First Amendment Award (1986 and 1989); recognition by the Cavello Foundation, Inc., for “moral courage in business and government” (1988); and the Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award (1996).