Tommy Tainant
Diamond Member
Explainer: Is it illegal for Trump or Congress to name the impeachment whistleblower?
The whistleblower’s lawyers said in a statement on Wednesday that efforts to identify their client “will place that individual and their family at risk of serious harm” and will deter future whistleblowers.
Notably, the 2014 law ultimately puts the president in charge of enforcing the whistleblower protections.
A whistleblower act that does not protect the whistleblower is a meaningless piece of paper. A whistleblower is somebody who performs a public service. They do not act as judge and jury. They raise concerns and pass them on to senior people who then make a decision. In which case their identity being known is not necessarily in the public interest.
I can understand Trumps curiosity about this, he sees it as a betrayal, but as soon as the complaint is lodged the whistleblowers work is done.
But the US is a hugely violent and partisan society. Anonymity for a whistleblower is essential. If the current whistleblower gets killed then it will effectively kill off all future whistleblowers. That can not be a good thing for anybody apart from the crooks.
The Whistleblower Act needs to be strengthened to protect whistleblowers and ultimately the interests of the people.
The whistleblower’s lawyers said in a statement on Wednesday that efforts to identify their client “will place that individual and their family at risk of serious harm” and will deter future whistleblowers.
Notably, the 2014 law ultimately puts the president in charge of enforcing the whistleblower protections.
A whistleblower act that does not protect the whistleblower is a meaningless piece of paper. A whistleblower is somebody who performs a public service. They do not act as judge and jury. They raise concerns and pass them on to senior people who then make a decision. In which case their identity being known is not necessarily in the public interest.
I can understand Trumps curiosity about this, he sees it as a betrayal, but as soon as the complaint is lodged the whistleblowers work is done.
But the US is a hugely violent and partisan society. Anonymity for a whistleblower is essential. If the current whistleblower gets killed then it will effectively kill off all future whistleblowers. That can not be a good thing for anybody apart from the crooks.
The Whistleblower Act needs to be strengthened to protect whistleblowers and ultimately the interests of the people.