Our Whistleblower law was America’s first law enacted by the 1st Continental Congress’s just months after Our Declaration of Independence, declaring:
“It is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or any other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge.”
America was as equally divided then as today between “parties”: loyalists on one side and Patriots on the other. Our first law didn’t slow powerful politicians pressuring bureaucrats to simply fire government employees who could “blow the whistle” on superiors, and friends at any agency in every government office they controlled”.
In 1976 the GAO released their “Fraud in Government Report” showing 40% of massive Military fraud, and also found 60% fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. Congress quickly passed the Medicare and Medicaid Anti-Fraud Act. To stop “inside agency fraud” they passed The Inspector General Act for government employees to file fraud complaints at the “earliest information to Congress or Proper Authority on Frauds” in the then 21 government agencies. Records show very few did, and those who did were fired, in all the now 73 agencies with Inspector Generals.
Ten years later Congress amended the False Claims Act and every few years passes more laws to protect government whistleblowers, but the few cases show few recoveries, as in past years Inspector Generals of many agencies called by congress to testify; “Take the 5th”. Of the 15 thousand whistleblower cases filed by government employees and contractors since 1987, only 4,734 were by government whistleblowers in 73 agencies, recovering only $15 billion of $48 billion total fraud recoveries, less than 1/2% of 1% spent in 73 agency budgets.
Government agency heads and the Justice Department detest whistleblowers and don’t consider civil matters “criminal”, as none result in anyone being tried, jailed or otherwise punished. Usual defendants are highly paid corporate executives. I believe taxpayers, consider large civil fraud cases that steal hundreds of billions annually to be Grand Theft; and believe it just to throw presidents or large Corporations CEO’s who contribute heavily to politicians into jail!
YouTube whistleblower videos, such as Hunting Health Care Fraud from Reuters and the videos below, show few tried in courts while thousands more filed under the False Claims Act by thousands of “Relators”, fare no better.
