Rick Morain is the former publisher and owner of the Jefferson Herald, for which he writes a regular column.
Federal government whistleblowers have a champion in the U.S. Senate: Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
We can measure a politician’s sincerity about a specific issue or policy by how consistently he or she maintains that position, regardless of which party holds power. Through the years—decades, really—that Grassley has served in the U.S. Senate, he has always insisted that government employees who expose questionable dealings or negligent mismanagement by their superiors must be protected in their jobs, without fear of retaliation.
That’s particularly true when the employee’s specific job is to investigate such dealings. Those crucial public servants are the “inspectors general” of the various federal agencies.
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