Whistleblowers meet to share stories, strategies (10/11/05)

www.GovExec.com - Whistleblowers meet to share stories, plot strategies (10/11/05):

"Most of the whistleblowers at the conference said they were ardent conservatives or lifelong Republicans. But their experiences have brought them into a world where they mingle with representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and Democratic lawmakers.

Conference participants said they'd spent the better part of their careers in government or military service, and had never thought about going public with their allegations, which ranged from suspected espionage inside national security agencies to criminal misconduct by superiors. But efforts to report allegations and complaints through their formal chains of command failed, they said, leaving them no alternative but to become public whistleblowers.

Through panel discussions and keynote speeches, participants told their stories, heard from organizations that support whistleblowers, and discussed legal, legislative and media strategies. They talked of building a sustained movement that will help career civil servants, military service members and government contractors report wrongdoing.

'We are here to stay,' Edmonds said. 'We have different ideologies, we have different personalities, we have different agencies, but we have a common goal.'

That goal, they say, is government accountability, which includes strong congressional oversight and protections for employees who disclose suspected wrongdoing at national security agencies."