Honesty Without Fear

We invited candidates from one of the most hotly-contested House races, incumbent Michael Grimm and Mark Murphy, to come on the show to discuss the Grimm Act (H.R. 2483) with host Steve Kohn.  The Grimm Act would reverse the corporate whistleblower protections passed in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Congressman Grimm did not respond to the interview request, but candidate Murphy discusses his position on the Grimm Act and whistleblower protections.

Additionally, whistleblower Eugene Ross and attorney Jordan Thomas join Steve to weigh in on how the Grimm Act will impact corporate culture.  Eugene Ross blew the whistle on corporate fraud at Bear Stearns, and Jordan Thomas is partner at Labaton Sucharow and former SEC official who worked on drafting the SEC rules for Dodd-Frank.

You can take action to stop the Grimm Act at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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David Lewis is the guest host for today's show. He interviews fellow EPA whistleblower Bill Sanjour about his recent article in Independent Science News.

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Happy International Worker's Day! Join Honesty Without Fear to hear from two labor attorneys about the relationship between whistleblowers and labor unions.

In the first half hour, labor attorney Gerald Waites joins host Richard Renner for a discussion of labor union pension funds. These funds amount to over $200 billion in financial market investments, and Mr. Waites advocated for strong SEC whistleblower protections to protect them. Tune in to hear about his experience and how labor unions and whistleblower attorneys can help workers receive every available protection.

In the second half hour, Richard welcomes Connecticut labor attorney Charlie Goetsch back to the show. Mr. Goetsch is the author of the TrainLawBlog and the recent winner of a $1 million verdict against the Metro North commuter rail in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Listen live to find out how Mr. Goetsch convinced the jury to send a clear message to employers: it is unacceptable to retaliate against workers who report injuries.

You can take action to improve protections for whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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In the first half hour, Michael Kohn interviews Jim Bobreski, an Instrument and Control Technician who blew the whistle on the District of Columbia's water department for intentionally disabling the safety alarms on chlorine tanks kept within a mile of the U.S. Capitol. In 2005, a Department of Labor judge ruled that Mr. Bobreski was illegally fired, and that the District's Water and Sewer Authority was responsible for causing his discharge. Hear about his struggle to protect public health and safety.

In the second segment, Richard interviews Robert M. Danno, a whistleblower at the National Park Service (NPS). Mr. Danno is a decorated Park Ranger whose career was stunted after objecting to the destruction an NPS forest just to give Redskins owner Dan Snyder a better view of the Potomac River from his luxury home in Maryland.  Mr. Danno discusses his experience, which is the subject of his new book, Worth Fighting For: A Park Ranger's Unexpected Battle against Federal Bureaucrats & Washington Redskins Owner Dan Snyder.  Read a review of the Mr. Danno’s book by the Association of National Park Rangers.

You can take action to improve protections for whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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Discussion of the Justice Dept. forensic flaws reported today by Washington Post; NYC Council’s whistleblower protection debate; and an interview of Robert Danno, National Park Service whistleblower. Due to the breaking news from the Washington Post, the second half hour features Dr. Frederic Whitehurst, the whistleblower who exposed systemic flaws at the FBI Crime Lab that may have impacted thousands of defendants. Dr. Whitehurst will discuss today's front-page Washington Post story, as well as his many years of work to bring the misconduct to light. We will air the interview of Robert Danno at a later date.

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In the first half hour, Steve Kohn and Donna Boehme, Principal at Compliance Strategists LLC and editor of the weekly CS NewsFlash discuss the first six months of Dodd-Frank and why arguments by General Electric that an employee is not protected from retaliation unless they go to the SEC are counter-productive to the company’s long-term interests.

In the second segment, Steve Kohn interviews whistleblower Sibel Edmonds about her current battle against the FBI. The FBI has spent enormous resources to prevent Ms. Edmonds from publishing a book about the serious security breaches and cover-ups she witnessed while working in the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Call in to ask about her experience, and tune in to find out about her long-awaited book, Classified Woman: The Sibel Edmonds Story.

You can take action to improve protections for whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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In the first half hour, Jane Turner interviews Rosemary Dew, a 13-year veteran FBI agent and author of "No Backup: My Life as a Female FBI Special Agent." Ms. Dew worked undercover against criminals, spies and terrorists, earning eight commendations. Despite her achievements, she was subjected to severe discrimination and sexual harassment. Ms. Dew and Jane explore how the climate at the FBI not only taints the experience of the FBI's few female agents, but also leads directly to some of the bureau's most harmful failures.

In the second segment, Lindsey Williams and Dr. Aaron Westrick discuss his experience blowing the whistle on defective bulletproof vests. As a research director for one of America’s largest body armor companies, Dr. Westrick was the first official to oppose the sale of Zylon bulletproof vests. Listen to his story of how industry put profits above the lives of law enforcement officers.

You can take action to improve protections for whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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In the first half hour, David Colapinto and Dean Zerbe, National Managing Director for Alliant Group and Former Tax Counsel for the Senate Finance Committee, discuss the omissions in the FBI’s recent PSA on reporting financial fraud. If you are considering blowing the whistle on financial fraud, find out what you need to know.

In the second segment, Richard Renner interviews Michael Kohn about the life and work of former National Whistleblowers Center Board Member Dennis Brutus. Mr. Brutus was a South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have apartheid South Africa banned from the Olympic Games.

You can take action to improve protections for whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org

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In the first half hour, guest host Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo interviews Susan Morris, former Deputy Director of the EPA’s Office of Civil Rights. They discuss Ms. Morris’ decision to blow the whistle on the EPA and the impact it has had on her life. They also talk about the upcoming March 30th Occupy EPA demonstration.

In the second segment, Richard Renner and author Eyal Press, discuss his most recent article "Chilling Dissent on Wall Street" and the New York Times editorial by Greg Smith about the culture of greed at Goldman Sachs.

You can take action to improve protections for whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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In the first half hour, David Colapinto interviews Steve Kohn about his recent trip to Bosnia and the broader European movement for stronger whistleblower protections.

In the second half hour, Richard Renner and Eric M. Gutiérrez, Legislative & Public Policy Director for the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) discuss the progress of two very important laws for whistleblowers, the Civil Rights Tax Relief Act (addresses unfair tax treatment of settlements and awards in employment cases) and the Arbitration Fairness Act (to prevent forced arbitration).

You can take action to improve protections for all whistleblowers by signing the petition at www.whistleblowersradio.org.

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