Everyone has heard news stories surrounding the act of whistleblowing. In fact, Snowden quickly became one of the biggest whistleblowing cases in the media, because of all of the extradition laws that were involved. These types of media cases bring up whistleblowing laws and whistleblowing ethics and who is right and who is wrong in such a case. It brings light to the public about any illegal bearings that the government is involved in, and yet, the whistleblower often finds themselves as the target of anger. In fact, many of the media outlets and the public forget about the information that was brought forth, and talk surrounds how the whistleblower should be punished. In most cases, the whistleblower is simply trying to do the right thing, and as such, should be protected.
22% of those who reported wrongdoing by the government said that they experienced retaliation because of their actions. Whistleblower retaliation can come in many forms. Most whistleblowers are fired from their positions if they are still active, and they are then blacklisted from finding any further employment in that type of a job. They often experience ridicule and rejection in their communities, with their faces plastered all over the news. A whistleblower may be forced to move because of extreme retaliation. After all is said and done, they are forced to uproot their lives and create a new life somewhere else. They may struggle with finding employment or living areas.
The whistleblower policy varies, depending on the specific branch of the government that is involved, but most of them do not support whistleblowers. Whistleblower retaliation settlements may be available for those whistleblowers who were unfairly treated or who received extreme retaliation as a result of whistleblower cases. An attorney who is familiar with and specialized in whistleblower retaliation settlements is the best resource for someone going through this type of backlash. A whistleblower lawyer will understand all of the individual laws, based on each branch of government and will be able to provide consultation to an individual case, as every case is different.
Qui tam cases account for over 60% of all false claims litigation, with the remainder having been initiated by the government. Based on the DOJ fraud statistics, the average annual growth rate of new qui tam fillings has been 13% for the last 24 years. A government branch may file a false claim litigation to protect themselves from potential whistleblower retaliation settlements.
An attorney who is familiar with whistleblower retaliation settlements can also assist with whistleblower protection. If a case of whistleblowing is high media, it is possible that the whistleblower will receive physical threats. This can be very overwhelming and scary for the individual, and protection is often needed until the case is resolved.
Whistleblowing is the act of leaking government secrets. Oftentimes, these secrets that are leaked are illegal activities or practices that the government branch is partaking in. The whistleblower may feel that they are doing the right thing by making it public, but they will also find a lot of backlash as a result. They may find it difficult to find a job, housing and may be physically threatened. A qualified whistleblowing attorney can provide the whistleblower with consultation, information on the whistleblowing laws and even protection in some cases.
