Whistleblower

A whistleblower is a person who reports alleged wrongdoing, danger, or misconduct within an organization, often to authorities, journalists, or the public. Whistleblowing can expose harm while placing the person at risk of retaliation.

Whistleblower protection: Legal and organizational measures that shield people who report misconduct from retaliation. Protection laws shape whether internal reports or public disclosures are viable.
Daniel Ellsberg: A former U.S. military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971. His leak exposed government deception about the Vietnam War.
Leaking: The unauthorized release of confidential information to people outside the organization holding it. A leak may expose wrongdoing, but the term does not require that purpose.
False Claims Act: A U.S. law allowing private parties to sue on the government’s behalf over fraud against it. Its qui tam provisions can reward people whose evidence helps recover public funds.
Retaliation: Punitive action taken against someone for reporting wrongdoing or exercising a protected right. Demotion, dismissal, or harassment can follow a whistleblower’s disclosure.
Deepwater Horizon oil spill: The 2010 explosion of an offshore drilling rig that caused deaths and a major oil spill. Employees had raised safety concerns before the disaster, prompting scrutiny of internal warnings.
Dissent: The expression of disagreement with a prevailing opinion, policy, or authority. Disagreement alone is not a report of organizational wrongdoing or danger.
Qui tam: A legal action in which a private person sues on behalf of the government and may share recovered damages. This procedure gives some whistleblowers a formal role in pursuing fraud claims.
Freedom of information: Legal rights and procedures for obtaining records held by public authorities. Public records can corroborate claims and reveal how officials handled them.
Edward Snowden: A former U.S. intelligence contractor who disclosed classified surveillance programs in 2013. His disclosures made government surveillance a global public debate.

Linked from 28 pages