The annual Hotline Worldwide Outreach event at DoD OIG Headquarters brings together investigators and other subject matter experts from every level of government to share best practices and lessons learned. The event also commemorates National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. In this DoD OIG vodcast, Spokesperson Mollie Halpern introduces the DoD OIG’s Whistleblower of the Year and how to make a report to the DoD Hotline.
Disclaimer: In the interest of respecting the confidential nature of the Alternative Dispute Resolution process, the identity of the subject, and other negotiation details are not disclosed.
Whistleblower of the Year
Mollie Halpern: Steven came to the United States in 1988 seeking political asylum from the former Czechoslovakia. Since settling in the Pacific Northwest, Steven became a U.S. citizen, married, and became a father.
Steven: I was hoping when I received political asylum that things would be different in my life. And that’s how it was. It was great.
Halpern: Steven spent most of his career in the commercial fishing industry and when offered a higher paying position as a project manager for a Department of Defense contractor, he seized the opportunity.
Once on the job, Steven says he suspected fraud and reported it to the company’s owner.
But after just 56 days, Steven says he was fired without warning.
Steven: And then on the way out, I saw the president and owner, and he was just laughing.
Halpern: The Whistleblower Protection Act, other federal whistleblower protection laws, and a presidential policy directive provide rights and protections to military members, federal civilians, contractors and intelligence community employees, and others who make a lawful, good faith report of wrongdoing.
As a DoD contractor, Steven not only had a right—but was required —to report suspected fraud and reprisal.
The DoD Hotline is a confidential and reliable way to do just that. Wanting to prevent others from having the same experience, Steven submitted an online complaint—one of about 24,000 contacts the DoD Hotline receives annually. Complainants may remain anonymous or confidential.
Steven’s complaint reached the DoD Office of Inspector General, or DoD OIG, which administers the Hotline. Investigators triage the complaints, evaluate them, and within a required timeframe determine how the cases will be handled.
Patrick Gookin: It’s the DoD OIG’s mission to hold people accountable. The whistleblowers are the ones who help us keep other people accountable. They are the eyes and the ears of the Department. They’re the ones with boots on the ground and in the trenches.
Halpern: That was DoD Hotline Director Patrick Gookin who is the founder of the DoD OIG’s annual Hotline Worldwide Outreach event, which includes the celebration of National Whistleblower Appreciation Day—a time to recognize the contributions of whistleblowers, like Steven, who courageously expose wrongdoing.
Gookin: They are the heroes. Whistleblowers are the heroes. They expose things that save lives, save taxpayer dollars, and right wrongs.
Halpern: Reports of wrongdoing include violations of the law, rule, or regulation; waste, fraud, and abuse; mismanagement; security incidents; or other criminal or administrative misconduct.
In order to be protected, disclosures of wrongdoing usually must be made to someone who is authorized to receive them, such as an inspector general, a member of Congress, a supervisor in the direct chain of command, or any person or organization designated by law to receive such disclosures.
Ken Sharpless is the DoD OIG’s whistleblower protection coordinator. He is responsible for educating DoD employees on whistleblower rights and the prohibitions of retaliating against an employee for their protected disclosures. He says blowing the whistle can be a tough decision, but people can turn to him to talk through it.
Ken Sharpless: I think it’s fundamentally one of the most important things that I can do. People come to the IG because they know they are fair, objective, and impartial. They are looking at the facts of the story.
Halpern: Sometimes an investigation may not be the best way to resolve reprisal complaints. In those cases, the DoD OIG Whistleblower Reprisal Investigations Directorate offers another option—Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR.
The flagship program is voluntary and often results in a settlement agreement.
Sharpless: If a case goes to investigation, it might take a little over a year, maybe a little longer depending on the complexity of the case. ADR is an alternative for both the complainant and the subject, or the agency representing the subject, to see if they can settle their dispute.
Halpern: ADR is the path Steven and his former employer took. Throughout the process, Steven communicated with DoD OIG attorneys.
Steven: They listened to everything I said. Very, very professional, very polite. Right away, I could see that they were the right people to talk to. I needed to have some support and I was not getting the support anywhere, so this was a big help.
Halpern: Despite the hardships, Steven says if given the choice, he would blow the whistle all over again.
Steven: It helped me feel like a human again.
Halpern: Steven, and another whistleblower who wishes to remain anonymous, are the DoD OIG “Whistleblowers of the Year” and will be honored at the 11th annual Worldwide Outreach event in July.
If you have questions about your rights and responsibilities, please send an email to WPC@dodig.mil.
To file a complaint with the DoD Hotline, visit the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General website at dodig.mil.