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Agencies and Investigators
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| Since September 11, the FBI (which
can enforce any federal law and specializes in the most
complex cases) has become less involved in
the government fraud field. This leaves more
responsibility to the various Inspectors
General and the Government Accounting Office.
IG agents investigate and audit their individual
agencies, although some mainly handle thefts
and other less complex cases. The GAO investigates
bid-rigging complaints and other matters,
usually upon legislators' request. Local
police may also become involved, usually collaborating
with federal investigators. |
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| Many employment lawyers counsel using only
anonymous tips. They can be personally cathartic,
and minimize the chance of retaliation. However,
anonymous tips also rarely lead to reform
of any sort. Most agents have extensive case
loads, so generally tips from anonymous sources
are quickly put at the bottom of the ever-increasing
to-do pile. Here's a more detailed analysis
to help you choose. |
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| Another Catch-22 for whistleblowers is when
to report the problem. Waiting too long before
contacting law enforcement can make legitimate
concerns seem mere personal sour grapes.
On the other hand, contacting law enforcement
too early can enable managers to retaliate
or create a hostile work environment, because internal investigators invariably
talk to others in the same chain of command.
Thus, some federal employees choose to consult
with an attorney or Independent Organization for advice about the inclinations of a particular
IG office or whether the case is polished
enough to present. |
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| Employee-witnesses and agents also often
have different perspectives about written
statements. Ultimately, the legal system
relies on this paperwork, so an agent ultimately
will document whistleblowing allegations.
The report's accuracy can become a major
issue (especially where the investigation
craters), as is whether the employee will
be able to look at it at all. |
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Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices