Whistleblower of the Week: Recent Episodes
Jane Turner
Join FBI whistleblower Jane Turner every other week as she talks with a whistleblower about their life experiences, what led them to blow the whistle, and their lives after their courageous and brave actions. In each episode, Turner will discuss in depth each individual’s choice to become a whistleblower in their respective fields and the fallout that occurred. Questions? Reach Whistleblower Network News at contact@whistleblowernews.com.
English: In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, guest host, Rachel Demeuse, an intern with Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, interviews William Bourdon. Bourdon is one of Europe's most prominent human rights attorneys, founder of Sherpa and PPLAAF, and the lawyer who successfully defended Antoine Deltour and Edward Snowden, reflects on four decades at the forefront of whistleblower defense. He assesses what Europe's legal arsenal actually offers those who dare to speak out.
The conversation moves from law to philosophy, exploring the role of whistleblowers as sentinels of democracy, the deep cultural divide between Europe and the United States on financial rewards. It ends on a pressing note: Bourdon's sharp critique of FinCEN's proposed AML whistleblower regulations, which he sees as part of a broader assault on press freedom and dissent, and a dangerous signal to authoritarian regimes worldwide.
French: Dans cet épisode de Whistleblower of the Week, William Bourdon, l'un des avocats de droits de l'homme les plus influents d'Europe, fondateur de Sherpa et de la PPLAAF, défenseur d'Antoine Deltour, Rui Pinto et Edward Snowden, revient sur quatre décennies passées à défendre ceux qui osent parler. De la loi Sapin II à la loi Wasermann, il évalue ce que l'arsenal juridique européen offre réellement aux lanceurs d'alerte.
L'entretien s'élève ensuite du droit à la philosophie, explorant le rôle des lanceurs d'alerte comme sentinelles de la démocratie, le fossé culturel profond entre l'Europe et les États-Unis sur la récompense financière. Il se conclut sur une actualité brûlante : la critique acérée de Bourdon à l'égard de la nouvelle réglementation FinCEN, qu'il perçoit comme une attaque contre la liberté de la presse, et un signal dangereux envoyé aux régimes autoritaires du monde entier.
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Attorney Stephen Kohn joins Jane Turner to sound the alarm on an urgent action alert regarding the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Whistleblower Law. This new law is the most comprehensive award program ever passed—covering everything from drug cartels to sanctions violations—yet proposed regulations written and administered by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) now threaten the very confidentiality whistleblowers critically depend on to stay safe.
Act now—submit your comment before the June 1 deadline!
Go to www.whistleblowers.org/actions/fincen-rules to take action today.
- Use the direct link to submit your official public comment to regulations.gov.
- You can easily cut and paste the proposed comment provided by the National Whistleblower Center.
Your action is urgently needed. Massive public participation is critical right now to compel the Department of the Treasury to enact regulations that work as Congress intended and to protect those who risk everything to expose global corruption.
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“Whistleblower of the Week” host Jane Turner speaks with CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, who exposed the agency’s enhanced interrogation program. After refusing to participate and going public, he was imprisoned, lost his career, and faced retaliation. Despite the consequences, he rebuilt his life with support from fellow whistleblowers and now advocates for accountability and legal protection for others considering coming forward.
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Part 2
In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner continues her interview with former FBI counterintelligence agent Jonathan Buma. Buma became a whistleblower after seeing what he calls a serious breakdown of integrity inside the Bureau, even though its motto is “fidelity, bravery, integrity.”
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Part 1
In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner talks with former FBI counterintelligence agent Jonathan Buma. Buma became a whistleblower after seeing what he calls a serious breakdown of integrity inside the Bureau, even though its motto is “fidelity, bravery, integrity.”
Buma says he tried to hold security briefings to warn that the president’s personal attorney had been compromised, and to let the attorney know the Bureau was watching the threat. However, FBI leaders would not reach out to any high-level people involved. Buma says managers were afraid of looking politically biased, interfering in politics, or breaking constitutional rules. He believes this hesitation let Russia take advantage of weaknesses and led to what he calls “the greatest counterintelligence failure in history.”
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In this second part of Whistleblower of the Week, host and former FBI agent Jane Turner continues her conversation with NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake, diving deeper into the aftermath of his disclosures and the personal cost of exposing secret surveillance programs.
Drake explains how, after raising concerns through official channels, he was met with retaliation, isolation, and escalating pressure from within the intelligence community. As the government built a criminal case against him, he faced a 2010 Espionage Act indictment that threatened decades in prison. Drake details the emotional toll of the investigation, the raid on his home, and the collapse of the case when all felony charges were ultimately dropped.
Despite losing his job, pension, and financial security, Drake reflects on why he remained committed to telling the truth—and why defending the Constitution mattered more than the consequences. Part 2 explores the broader implications of his ordeal, the dangers of unchecked surveillance, and the importance of whistleblowers in a democracy.
Listen now on WNN, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Remember to subscribe on your favorite platform!
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In this week’s Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host and FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake in a conversation recorded on July 4th. Turner calls Drake’s journey “a testament to the challenges faced by whistleblowers in the intelligence community,” and says his story shows why stronger protections are needed and stands as a lasting symbol of courage.
Drake talks about his early life, growing up in a military family, and being around a national security culture from a young age. Drake recalls joining the Air Force in 1979, where he worked as a cryptologic linguist and underwent SERE training, including waterboarding. This experience shaped his views on lawful and unlawful orders. He later worked at the CIA and as a government contractor. At the NSA, he became an internal whistleblower about the expensive Minstrel program and lost his job after refusing to commit fraud.
In 2001, Drake began a senior leadership role at the NSA on his first day, September 11th. He says the intelligence system had been “blinking red” and explains that the response after 9/11 made him feel he had to speak out.
Listen now on WNN, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Remember to subscribe on your favorite platform! And tune in next week for part 2.
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This week on Whistleblower of the Week, former Federal Air Marshal Robert MacLean joins host Jane Turner to share his story of exposing safety risks within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
MacLean recounts how his 2003 disclosure about air marshals being pulled from long-distance flights led to years of retaliation, including termination, legal battles, and attempts to discredit him. Despite the personal toll, he continues to push for transparency and the protection of those who speak out.
Listen now to hear how one whistleblower’s pursuit of justice sheds light on the challenges of reforming government agencies—and the enduring importance of the First Amendment.
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This week on Whistleblower of the Week, Caroline Hunt-Matthes, a former United Nations investigator whose efforts to expose sexual exploitation and misconduct sparked a 15-year legal battle—the longest in UN history. Speaking with guest hosts, Agnes Jonsson and Greta Leeb, she reveals the systemic failures, retaliation, and culture of silence that continue to plague the UN’s internal justice system. Hunt-Matthes also discusses her new book, We the People: The United Nations Whistleblowers, and calls for urgent reforms to protect those who dare to speak out.
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In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner speaks with former FBI Special Agent Emily Fertitta, who breaks her silence on the retaliation she and her husband, Valentine “Val” Fertitta—a decorated Marine Corps officer and FBI agent—have endured for exposing misconduct inside the Bureau. From denied promotions and mental health evaluations to “national security” investigations and coerced interrogations, Emily shares their harrowing fight for justice in the face of relentless retaliation. Their story is a powerful warning about what happens when whistleblower protections are ignored, and national security is weaponized to
silence dissent.
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Leading US whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn joins host Jane Turner on this episode of Whistleblower of the Week. Kohn discusses the National Whistleblower Center’s (NWC) participation in the 11th Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, emphasizing the urgency of bolstering whistleblower laws worldwide. The NWC is advocating for international support of NWC’s proposal to promote whistleblower protection and awards worldwide. Kohn states that the momentum built on the fight against corruption must not be lost with the shift in US enforcement policy.
Want to support Stephen and National Whistleblower Center’s fight against corruption? Endorse the NWC proposal here and donate here.
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When FBI analyst Teresa Tumblin reported misconduct inside the Bureau, she expected accountability—not retaliation. In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner speaks with Teresa about her 16-year career, the fallout from speaking up, and the personal cost of standing by her principles. From demotion to dismissal, Teresa’s story is a powerful look at the price of integrity inside one of America’s most powerful institutions.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Dr. James Wells retired criminology and criminal justice professor
and author of the new book Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find
the Father He Never Knew.
In Because, Wells details his journey to uncover the truth about the death of his
father, who passed away in Vietnam when Wells was nine years old. In his
research, Wells discovers that his father Jack Wells was a wartime whistleblower
who reported and fought corruption that jeopardized the lives and safety of
refugees in Vietnam.
Turner and Wells discuss the process of uncovering the truth about his father’s
whistleblowing and the importance of whistleblower stories.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with former FBI agent Robyn Gritz. Gritz had a 16-plus year career at the FBI including serving as a supervisor over Washington Field Office’s elite Extraterritorial Counter Terrorism squad. However, Gritz claims she faced gender discrimination, including numerous sexist comments and less preferential treatment, during her time at the Bureau and was eventually forced out of her job. She has an ongoing lawsuit against the FBI.
Turner and Gritz discuss Gritz’s upbringing and how it shaped her commitment towards working at the FBI. They then speak about her experiences with discrimination and harassment at the FBI and detail how Gritz was forced out of her job.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with whistleblower-turned-whistleblower attorney Will Kramer, an
associate in the Litigation Practice Group of Pines Bach.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Kramer was an occupational health and safety consultant who blew the whistle on deeply disturbing conditions and improper handling of hazardous waste at several plants in Wisconsin.
Turner and Kramer, discuss Kramer’s experiences blowing the whistle and his journey to becoming an attorney representing whistleblowers. They speak about how his first-hand experience as a whistleblower shapes his work today.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Army Corps of Engineers whistleblower Dr. Toni Savage and her
attorney Michael Kohn about Dr. Savage’s landmark whistleblower retaliation
case.
A former Supervisory Contracting Officer with the Army Corps of Engineers, Dr.
Savage blew the whistle on millions of dollars in fraudulent contracts and faced
severe retaliation for speaking out. Kohn, a founding partner of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, represented Dr. Savage in her retaliation case before the Merit
Systems Protection Board (MSPB).
In a landmark win for federal employee whistleblowers, the MSPB ruled in Dr.
Savage’s favor, establishing that federal whistleblowers can raise hostile work
environment claims.
Turner, Savage, and Kohn discuss Savage’s whistleblowing journey, her decade
long retaliation case, and the impact her case has for other federal employee
whistleblowers.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Kate Reeves about efforts to strengthen whistleblower rights in the
United Kingdom. Reeves is the International Liaison for the U.S. whistleblower firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto. Currently based in London, Reeves works alongside advocates in the UK, including WhistleblowersUK, to further efforts to reform the country’s whistleblower laws. Turner and Reeves discuss the differences between the U.S. and UK whistleblower systems and highlight the issues with the UK system. Reeves details the current legislative efforts to reform the UK whistleblower laws and the path for these reforms to become law.
Reeves recently coauthored an article for the Oxford University Business Law Blog entitled “UK Whistleblower Reform is Crucial for Global Anti-Corruption Enforcement” which further outlines the need for reform of the UK’s whistleblower laws and how advancing whistleblower rights in the UK would further anti-corruption efforts across the globe.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with whistleblower attorney and former SEC official Andrew Feller. Feller is currently Senior Special Counsel at the leading whistleblower firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, where as co-Chair of the firm’s Securities and Commodities Whistleblower Group, he represents whistleblowers who seek to report fraud and other legal violations to financial regulators including the SEC, CFTC, DOJ, IRS, and FinCEN. Prior to joining Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, Feller investigated and litigated securities fraud matters as Senior Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
Turner and Feller discuss his career and why he decided to represent
whistleblowers. Drawing on Feller’s firsthand experience as both an attorney for SEC whistleblowers and an SEC official, they discuss the successes and importance of the SEC Whistleblower Program and the key role whistleblowers play in fighting fraud.
Feller explains why the bipartisan SEC Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025 is a critical bill which would strengthen the SEC Whistleblower Program. The National Whistleblower Center is calling for the passage of the SEC Whistleblower Reform Act and has created an Action Alert allowing individuals to write to members of Congress calling for the bill’s passage.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with whistleblower Abdel Badoura, who exposed the price gouging of
Australia’s supermarket duopoly, Coles and Woolworths.
For over a decade, Badoura worked in the consumer goods sector, directly
negotiating prices with Coles and Woolworths. In a 2024 Senate testimony, he
blew the whistle on the supermarket giants’ price gouging and market power
abuse, outlining their tactics and practices which he witnessed first-hand.
Turner and Badoura, discuss his whistleblowing at length, including the details of
his allegations. They also speak about why Badoura felt compelled to come
forward and blow the whistle.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with leading tax whistleblower expert and advocate Dean Zerbe, partner at Zerbe, Miller, Fingeret, Frank and Jadav, LLP and Senior Policy Analyst at the National Whistleblower Center.
Prior to entering private practice, Zerbe was active in Congressional investigations of government waste, fraud, and abuse for over 25 years. As Senior Counsel and Tax Counsel on the Senate Finance Committee for Senator Charles E. Grassley, Zerbe was the driving force behind the drafting and passage of legislation that created the Whistleblower Office at the IRS as well as changes in the tax code that greatly expanded the rewards for tax whistleblowers.
In this episode, Turner and Zerbe dive into the current state of tax whistleblowing under the IRS Whistleblower Program, discussing its successes as well as its flaws. Zerbe explains how recent efforts have made the program more efficient but outlines the urgent need for specific reforms.
Turner and Zerbe also discuss Zerbe’s own unique career path as a tax whistleblower advocate and the inspiration behind the 2006 IRS whistleblower law he helped write.
Zerbe and the National Whistleblower Center (NWC) are calling for the passage of reforms found in the IRS Whistleblower Improvement Act of 2023. NWC has set up an Action Alert allowing individuals to write to their members of Congress urging them to pass the reforms to strengthen the IRS Whistleblower Program.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with anti-corruption advocate and attorney Estefania Medina, co-founder
of TOJIL and Vice President of the Anti-Corruption Commission at the
International Chamber of Commerce-México.
TOJIL is a non-profit organization dedicated to combating corruption in Mexico
through deep investigations, strategic litigation, and the development of public
policy.
Jane and Estefania discuss Estefania’s background and her inspirations for
becoming a lawyer and advocate dedicated to creating change. They delve into
the problems of corruption plaguing Mexico and how TOJIL is working with
whistleblowers and authorities to fight back.
In particular, Estefania details the landmark case in which, thanks to
whistleblowers, U.S. authorities sanctioned Vitol, an oil and gas trading firm, for
corruption-based fraud and attempted manipulation in Mexico and other
countries.
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In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner speaks with Stephen M. Kohn, co-Founder and Board Chairman of National Whistleblower Center and leading whistleblower attorney.
On February 10th, President Trump halted enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) in an Executive Order, arguing the move would aid American business abroad. Listen to Kohn and Turner discuss how this decision will impact American business and whistleblowers reporting bribery, corruption, and collusion.
On March 13th, Kohn published an article, “Crippling the FCPA is Bad Business for the U.S” in the NYU Compliance and Enforcement Blog. He highlights his recent research which illustrates how FCPA enforcement primarily targets foreign companies, with monetary sanctions against foreign companies far outpacing sanctions against U.S-based companies.
National Whistleblower Center has launched a campaign to call for the resuming of FCPA enforcements. Take action today by contacting your Representatives and Senators.
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Whistleblower Advocate Stephen Kohn Discusses Firing of Special Counsel Dellinger. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Poornima Ramarao, the mother of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir
Balaji, who tragically passed away in November.
Balaji blew the whistle to the New York Times on alleged copyright violations by
OpenAI. He was found dead in his apartment months later.
In this episode, Turner and Ramarao discuss Balaji’s upbringing and courageous
whistleblowing, the questions Ramarao has surrounding his death and the
related police investigation, and why Ramarao hopes her son’s passing will help
lead to better protections for AI whistleblowers.
Ramarao has set up a GoFundMe: Justice for Suchir Balaji.
National Whistleblower Center has set up an Action Alert allowing supporters to
write to Congress demanding protections for artificial intelligence
whistleblowers.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Ed Pierson, Boeing whistleblower and the Executive Director of The
Foundation for Aviation Safety.
Pierson served as a Senior Manager at Boeing’s Renton, Washington 737 Max
factory, overseeing the manufacturing of Boeing’s 737 Max airline and leading
the Industrial Engineering and Shipside teams in final assembly and P-8
Poseidon Shipside teams. He blew the whistle on safety issues he witnessed in
the manufacturing of 737 Max’s.
At National Whistleblower Day 2024, Pierson revealed that he had uncovered new
documents underscoring Boeing’s alleged shortcomings in the manufacturing of
737 Max planes.
During their wide-ranging conversation, Jane and Pierson discuss his upbringing,
why he felt compelled to come forward with his concerns, the response of
Boeing and the FAA to his whistleblowing, and why he does not feel comfortable
flying on Boeing 737 Maxes.
National Whistleblower Center is urging Congress and the White House to act
immediately and address the issues which are endangering airline safety
whistleblowers and having a chilling effect on other would-be-whistleblowers.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with former FBI special agent Zach Schoffstall. Schoffstall was a supervisory senior resident agent in the FBI’s Salt Lake City Division. He alleges that he was retaliated against by the FBI after refusing to sign a warrant for a white nationalist organization, the Patriot Front, when he believed there was not actionable evidence.
During their wide-ranging conversation, Jane and Schoffstall discuss his
upbringing, his career at the FBI and the similarities in their experiences facing retaliation from the Bureau.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with former FBI official Marcus Allen.
Allen was suspended by the FBI for 27 months after making a protected
disclosure and in 2023 the Bureau revoked his security clearance before he
testified before Congress. In 2024, the FBI reinstated Allen’s security clearance
and reached a settlement agreement with him for backpay for his suspension.
During their wide-ranging conversation, Jane and Allen discuss his upbringing,
his suspension from the FBI and what changes the Bureau needs to make to
better support whistleblowers. They are joined in conversation by Tristan Leavitt,
President of Empower Oversight.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Samsung whistleblower June Bellamy.
In 2017, Bellamy blew the whistle on a director in the Service Division at the
Johannesburg Samsung Head Office. She was subsequently fired from Samsung
and has been fighting for her whistleblower rights in court ever since.
During their wide-ranging conversation, Jane and Bellamy discuss her upbringing,
her decision to blow the whistle, and her journey since coming forward.
For more information about June, or to her support her in her whistleblowing
journey, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/june-battles-against-corruption-in-
samsung
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with oil industry whistleblower Jonathan Taylor. While serving as an in-house lawyer at SBM Offshore, a Monaco-based Dutch oil and gas services company, Taylor blew the whistle on a corruption scheme where the company offered bribes in order to obtain lucrative government contracts. His whistleblowing helped bring light to the massive Petrobras
scandal.
During their wide-ranging conversation, Jane and Mr. Taylor discuss his upbringing, his decision to blow the whistle, the severe retaliation he faced for doing so (including an arrest in Croatia), and his current advocacy work for whistleblowers.
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In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, Jane speaks with Noel Engels. After spending over two decades working for the US government in intelligence, law enforcement, and military combat operations, Engels left his role as a Criminal Analyst at the Department of Homeland Security after filing a whistleblower complaint. Engels claims he was improperly removed from an investigation into human trafficking allegations against Utah County Attorney David O. Leavitt. He and Turner discuss the shocking details of that case and the retaliation he faced for speaking up.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this special episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane
Turner speaks with Billie Winner-Davis and Victoria Turner about the trauma
experienced by family members of whistleblowers who face retaliation.
Billie is the mother of Reality Winner, the intelligence community whistleblower
imprisoned for leaking a NSA report on the Russian government’s attempts to
interfere with the 2016 election. Victoria is the daughter of Whistleblower of the
Week’s Jane Turner, who twice blew the whistle on misconduct at the FBI.
Billie, Victoria and Jane discuss the ways that whistleblower retaliation extends
to family members. They also speak about being inspired to advocate for
whistleblowers.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with
former intelligence contractor Reality Winner.
Motivated to act on a belief that the American public was not getting the full truth.
Winner leaked a top-secret NSA report on the Russian government’s attempts to hack a Florida-based voting software supplier ahead of the 2016 election to the news media.
Winner and Turner discuss her background, motivations, and how the Espionage Act
should be modified to give it more nuance. They also talk about the harsh sentence
handed down by the court and the impact her choices made on her life today. Winner
encourages would-be whistleblowers to use legal reporting channels.
Winner was the first person to be prosecuted, and later sentenced, under the Trump
administration for defying the Espionage Act.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Aris Danikas, a whistleblower and the founder and CEO of Liberty of
Speech.
Turner and Danikas discuss his journey from whistleblower, he blew the whistle
on human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings by police in South Africa, to
whistleblower advocate.
They also speak about the upcoming conference Global Corruption And Public
Integrity - The Human Factor which features panel discussions on international
whistleblowing protection policies with a specific focus on the human toll
whistleblower retaliation has on whistleblowers and their families.
For more information on the conference (including how to register) visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-corruption-and-public-integrity-the-human-
factor-tickets-884026706677?aff=oddtdtcreator
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with Johannah Phenya, the owner of a South African IT company who alongside her husband blew the whistle on alleged corruption and fraud in the awarding of government contracts.
Following their whistleblowing, Johannah’s husband, Marumo Phenya, was assassinated. Johannah was honored for her bravery by Blueprint for Free Speech in their 2023 Whistleblowing Awards.
She and Turner discuss her whistleblowing journey, her commitment to ensuring her husband’s death was not in vain, and the immense dangers faced by whistleblowers in South Africa.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this special episode of of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn, founding partner of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and Chairman of the Board of National Whistleblower Center, about the Department of Justice’s ongoing development of a new whistleblower award program.
“We are on the verge of a major whistleblower development, one of the most important over the last twenty years,” explains Kohn. “The Justice Department plays a critical role in all of the major anti-corruption and fraud cases. So if we can help the Justice Department understand how they have to build this new program, it will be an incredible step forward.”
Kohn and Turner discuss the background of the program and its potential to revolutionize the DOJ’s handling of whistleblower cases and its ability to fight fraud and corruption. Kohn also outlines the key elements which the DOJ must implement for the program to be successful.
Kohn urges whistleblower supporters to join National Whistleblower Center in calling on the DOJ to follow proven best practices in the establishment of its new whistleblower award program.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner
speaks with Mzukisi Makatse, who blew the whistle on a corrupt grant awarded
by the South African Lottery Commission.
Makatse was honored for his bravery by Blueprint for Free Speech in their 2023
Whistleblowing Awards. He and Jane discuss his whistleblowing journey,
including the immense retaliation he faced, as well as the state of whistleblowing
in South Africa.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, Jane speaks with María de los Ángeles Estrada, a lawyer in Mexico specializing in transparency and anti-corruption. She serves as the Executive Director of the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Initiative of the School of Government and Public Transformation of the Tec de Monterrey, one of the most important and renowned universities in Latin America.
Turner and Ángeles Estrada discuss her legal and advocacy career as well as the importance of whistleblowers in anti-corruption efforts in Mexico and around the world. They also speak about Tec de Monterrey’s work alongside the National Whistleblower Center to educate individuals in Mexico about the transnational reach of U.S. whistleblower laws.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn, founding partner of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and Chairman of the Board of National Whistleblower Center, about the recent landmark ruling in the Supreme Court whistleblower case Murray v. UBS Securities.
Kohn gives historical perspective on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and explains the law. A major aspect of SOX was that it changed the burden of proof so that whistleblowers only need to prove that their whistleblowing was a “contributing factor” to a decision to fire them. In Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC, et al. 601 U. S. ____ (2024), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had held that whistleblowers must not prove that the employer acted with “retaliatory intent.” This was the issue before the Supreme Court in Murray.
Kohn explains the statute and how the Court applied it in Murray. He then goes on to discuss the impact of the Court’s ruling on whistleblower law. “This precedent not only covers Wall-Street but covers whistleblower laws across the board.”
“I believe, based on the Supreme Court decision and the jury verdict, Trevor Murray will ultimately fully prevail, and this will be a historic victory for every single corporate whistleblower, federal employee and other sectors of the economy,” Kohn says.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner talks to Nikhil Dey, the co-founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), a workers and peasant empowerment organization based in Rajasthan, India.
MKSS has led transparency and anti-corruption movements across India, including for the Right to Information, minimum wage, protection for gig workers, and more. MKSS pioneered the practice of public audits, in which local officials report to communities how and where they spend the resources, giving citizens the chance to hold officials accountable.
Dey has been recognized for his grassroots activism, most recently being named one of 11 worldwide Anti-Corruption Champions by the U.S. Department of State.
In this episode, Turner and Dey discuss the nexus between whistleblowing and anti-corruption efforts. They also talk about the general state of whistleblower protections in India
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner talks to Dr. Jeremiah P. Johnson, founder and director of the Lamplighter Project. Dr. Johnson recognized a need to support law enforcement whistleblowers who reported criminal misconduct in 2016 from experience in his own police department.
Jeremiah has served in various sworn and civilian roles across the criminal justice system, including policing, sentencing, and corrections. He began his law enforcement career in 2002 as a patrol officer for a Connecticut municipality, progressing to operational, administrative, and investigative roles. In 2021, Jeremiah was appointed to serve on the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. He currently works as an executive for an extensive city jail system.
Jeremiah has a decade of teaching experience, delivering undergraduate and graduate courses at several institutions of higher learning. He holds a BA in Sociology from Geneva College, an MS in Justice Administration from Western Connecticut State University, an MA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College, and a PhD in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Listen to their discussion about his experience in law enforcement and reporting internal criminal misconduct, the culture of reporting, and how his organization is working to support individuals and change the industry for the better
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week, Jane speaks with online disinformation specialist Dr. Joan Donovan, the former Technology and Social Change Research Project Director at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center.
Dr. Donovan blew the whistle on alleged improper donor influence at the Kennedy
School. She claims Harvard officials took cues and acted on behalf of Meta’s
interest while questioning her research methodologies, specifically regarding
Facebook.
In this week’s podcast, Joan tells Turner, “I wasn’t going to just sit there and
let this happen around me. I wasn’t going to say, ‘If you don’t want me to
research Facebook, I’ll just turn my eye onto something else,’ and I probably
could have, and the heat probably would have died down. But, because I kept the
pan hot, I got thrown into it.”
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner speaks with Ottawa police whistleblower Constable Kimberly Cadarette, who faced retaliation for reporting sexual harassment within the Ottawa Police Department.
Turner and Cadarette discuss their shared experience as female law enforcement whistleblowers and the sinister way “Fitness for Duty” exams were leveraged against them in retaliation for whistleblowing.
Cadarette’s story of retaliation, including a psychologist who claimed to have not been present for her Fitness for Duty exam, is a must hear.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year from the Whistleblower of the Week Team!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane
Turner speaks with South African whistleblower Patrick Maduna and
whistleblower advocate John Clarke. Turner, Maduna and Clarke discuss Patrick’s whistleblowing: he blew the whistle on alleged financial mismanagement and fraud at his former employer Lociware, alleging that the company is a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) front for dubious business dealings.
They also touch on the life-threatening dangers Maduna and his family have
faced since he blew the whistle as well as the advocacy work Clarke is doing to
help South African whistleblowers like Maduna.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner speaks with law enforcement whistleblower Austin Handle, a former police officer in Georgia and the Vice-Chair of the Board of the Lamplighter Project.
Handle provides updates on his whistleblower retaliation case since Turner profiled him for Whistleblower of the Week back in 2020. Handle and Turner also discuss the establishment of the Lamplighter Project, which provides support to law enforcement whistleblowers.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
This week, WOW Host Jane Turner speaks with Ted Blickwedel. Blickwedel is a Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and combat veteran who became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after retiring. He blew the whistle on the VA’s productivity policies that put pressure on counselors who treat combat veterans. Blickwedel asserted the VA’s policies were harmful to counselors and compromised the quality of care for veterans. He describes his whistleblower journey and a blueprint for fellow whistleblowers to use from his lessons learned, which is featured in his book Broken Promises: Marine Combat Veteran Turns Whistleblower Exposing Compromised Mental Health Care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane
Turner continues her conversation with Ashley Gjøvik. A former senior
engineering program manager at Apple, Gjøvik was fired from the tech giant after
raising a series of concerns including environmental concerns, violations of
employee privacy, harassment, and retaliation.
In this second part of a two-part podcast, Gjøvik and Turner discuss the ideals of
whistleblowing as well as a deeply researched piece on whistleblowing she wrote
for Covert Action Magazine.
If you missed it, check out part 1 of this conversation!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this special episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner records from Washington D.C., where she is in town to celebrate National Whistleblower Day on Capitol Hill**.
Turner is joined by Whistleblower of the Week producer Victoria Turner to discuss the Revolutionary War origins of National Whistleblower Day, the past decade of Senate National Whistleblower Day resolutions, and inspiring whistleblower stories.**
“National Whistleblower Day is a time that allows whistleblowers and advocates to get together and share their journeys and experiences, learn new facts, and set the agenda for the future,” Jane explains
Support the National Whistleblower Center
Join the Campaign to Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent
Read Rules for Whistleblowers to learn the complete history behind National Whistleblower Day
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane
Turner talks with Ashley Gjøvik. A former senior engineering program manager at
Apple, Gjøvik was fired from the tech giant after raising a series of concerns
including environmental concerns, violations of employee privacy, harassment,
and retaliation.
In this first part of two-part podcast, Gjøvik recounts the story of how she blew
the whistle on Apple’s mishandling of an office complex built on a Superfund
site. Gjøvik discusses how her initial whistleblowing led to a long series of
retaliation and harassment.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane
Turner talks with Allison Herren Lee, former Commissioner of the SEC who now
serves as Of Counsel for the whistleblower defense law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto. Turner and Lee discuss Lee’s experience working with whistleblowers at the SEC and how she saw their bravery firsthand. Lee also explains why after leaving the Commission she felt compelled to join a whistleblower defense firm.
“I saw firsthand what it meant in a case to have a whistleblower who was willing
to help, who was willing to come forward, who was willing to point out corruption,
legal violations, any number of issues,” Lee states. “And I also saw the price they
paid. So my view was quite firmly: these are partners in law enforcement and we
should do everything we can to protect them.”
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane
Turner talks with the leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn about the
release of his book, Rules for Whistleblowers. In this episode, we learn how whistleblowers have saved lives, stopped frauds, protected their jobs, and earned million-dollar rewards for doing the right thing.
Rules for Whistleblowers is Kohn’s seventh book on whistleblowing and is a fully
updated and expanded revision of The Whistleblower’s Handbook, the first-ever
comprehensive consumer guide to exposing workplace wrongdoing.
In the book, Kohn lays out thirty-five rules which highlight the “traps” facing
whistleblowers today and address how to file anonymous cases and qualify for
multi-million-dollar rewards. Kohn carefully explains complex rules governing
laws including the Dodd-Frank, IRS, and False Claims Acts, as well as detailed
strategies for fighting retaliation. He also covers controversial issues such as
taping, removing documents, and ignoring nondisclosure agreements.
More information on Kohn’s book Rules for Whistleblowers, including how to
order, is available here.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
How does a scientist’s work lead to being raided by state police and an arrest? In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with scientist and former Florida Department of Health employee Rebekah Jones. Jones tells Turner about what sparked her interest in becoming Geographic Information Systems manager for the Florida Department of Health and details the retaliation and lasting effects of refusing to change COVID-19 data. Her whistleblowing took devastating tolls on her professional and personal life. In this moving episode, hear Jones talk about the consequences not only she but
also her family suffered because of her whistleblowing.
Rebekah's Podcast Link: https://www.missinformational.com/
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“How do we make sure the hierarchy of laws is enacted in a different way because if we live in democracies, the interest of a single company or the market at large must not come before the interest of the population at large”
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner has a follow up conversation with Apple whistleblower Thomas Le Bonniec. Le Bonniec explains the legality of Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in the technology industry after blowing the whistle on Apple. Thomas and Jane chat about the NDAs he had to sign and how they are hindering the growth of democracy. They also discuss what happens when an American company has a whistleblower who is not American. Thomas talks about his case in the US as well as other Apple whistleblowers out in the public eye.
Read Thomas' story on WNN or listen to his first podcast to find out more about his story.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“How do we make sure the hierarchy of laws is enacted in a different way because if we live in democracies, the interest of a single company or the market at large must not come before the interest of the population at large”In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner has a follow up conversation with Apple whistleblower Thomas Le Bonniec. Le Bonniec explains the legality of Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in the technology industry after blowing the whistle on Apple. Thomas and Jane chat about the NDAs he had to sign and how they are hindering the growth of democracy. They also discuss what happens when an American company has a whistleblower who is not American. Thomas talks about his case in the US as well as other Apple whistleblowers out in the public eye.
Read Thomas' story on WNN or listen to his first podcast to find out more about his story.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In the first part of FBI whistleblower Jane Turner’s interview with Social Security whistleblowers Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith, listeners learned about the two women’s whistleblowing story in their own words. Carver and Griffith detailed how they found out about the over half a billion dollar defrauding of the Social Security system and uncovered corrupt judges, doctors, and attorney Eric Conn’s fraudulent scheme. Now, find out more about the aftermath of their disclosures, the investigations into Conn’s activity, and what “The Big Conn” on AppleTV+ left out.
This episode takes a deep dive into the investigations into the huge fraud committed against the Social Security Administration — and examines Carver and Griffith’s role in exposing the scheme and tireless efforts to be heard. Listen now!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith, whistleblowers who exposed an over half a billion dollar defrauding of the Social Security system. Carver and Griffith are stars of “The Big Conn,” a four-part docuseries on AppleTV+ that profiles Eric Conn, an eccentric lawyer who worked in Eastern Kentucky and committed massive fraud through a scheme involving disability cases.
Carver and Griffith tell the story in their own words, from their start at the Social Security Administration to becoming key whistleblowers in uncovering Conn’s scheme, which also involved corrupt judges and doctors. Carver and Griffith talk about how they discovered that there was something suspicious occurring in their office.
Carver and Griffith talk about the severe retaliation they faced, their years-long journey blowing the whistle, and also share an exciting announcement! Be sure to catch this engaging part 1 of Turner’s interview with these brave whistleblowers. Subscribe on your favorite platform, and check out video versions of #WhistlebloweroftheWeek interviews on WNN's YouTube channel!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Georgina Halford-Hall, Chief Executive of WhistleblowersUK, and Stephen Kohn, leading whistleblower attorney and founding partner of Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto LLP. The trio discusses the first-ever Whistleblowing Awareness Week, which will take place in the U.K. from March 20-24.
Georgina Halford-Hall talks about the impetus for having a week recognizing whistleblowers in the U.K. , who will be involved in the event, and how viewers can access the content. She talks with Kohn and Turner about whistleblowing legislation in the U.K., how it compares to legislation in the U.S., and emphasizes that protecting whistleblowers is an international issue. Don’t miss this conversation with three giants in the whistleblowing community
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with law enforcement whistleblower Raymond Hicks, author of I’m Still Standing. Hicks tells Turner about what sparked his interest in becoming a law enforcement officer and details his beginnings in law enforcement, earning awards and accolades at his job. He then talks about what detailed his career - speaking out about illicit activities in which his colleagues were involved.
Hicks and Turner discuss police whistleblowers, accountability in law enforcement, and much more in this moving episode: listen now!
WNN also published a video version of this podcast on YouTube!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins is asking the questions as FBI whistleblower Jane Turner serves as the interviewee.
On the podcast, Turner announces an exciting new initiative that is wholly by whistleblowers, for whistleblowers: urging President Biden to sign an Executive Order and permanently recognize National Whistleblower Day. Turner and Watkins talk about the specifics of the campaign: what it looks like, who’s involved, and how fellow whistleblowers and advocates can help! Learn more about the campaign to make National Whistleblower Day permanent on WNN's website, and check out a video version of this episode on WNN's YouTube channel.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Matthew Hoh, who was deployed to Iraq twice as a Marine. He was diagnosed with PTSD and traumatic brain injury after returning to the U.S. In 2009, Hoh sent a letter of resignation to then-Ambassador Nancy Powell outlining his reasons for leaving his post as a Senior Civilian Representative in Zabul Province.
During the episode, Hoh begins his interview with Turner about his studies in college and losing his faith and then delves into his military service. He talks about his experiences in Iraq, the destructive impacts of wartime, and his resignation letter that pointed out glaring corruption and graft, among other things.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Lauren Reinhold and Kait Hess, two federal employees who answered the call to serve as volunteer detailees at an Emergency Intake Site at Fort Bliss, Texas. The site was set up by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement to serve an influx of immigrant children.
Lack of proper shoes, socks, and undergarments. Children who hadn’t seen their case managers in weeks. Unqualified individuals working at the site and a wildly unclear management structure. In conversation with Turner, Hess and Reinhold break down the issues they brought to light through their whistleblower complaints and what they witnessed at Fort Bliss. They also talk about updates to their whistleblower cases and express frustration that this critical issue seems to have faded from news cycles and public consciousness.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with former FBI agent and law enforcement officer Greg Dillon, author of The Thin Blue Lie: An Honest Cop vs. the FBI.
Dillon talks about his upbringing, education, and his path to joining the FBI. He tells Jane about becoming an inspector in the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office in Connecticut, his home state. Dillon then tells the audience how he uncovered misconduct related to warrants, a discovery that set him on his whistleblower journey.
WNN has also published a video version of this podcast: you can view it on YouTube!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Apple whistleblower Thomas Le Bonniec. Le Bonniec divulges information about Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, and tells listeners about his experience working for an Apple subtractor.
How much does Apple’s Siri listen to users? For work, Le Bonniec listened to 1,300 recordings a day from users utilizing Siri on Apple products: in the episode, he talks about disturbing content in the recordings, privacy concerns with Siri, and surveillance capitalism. Le Bonniec talks about the turning point at which he decided to blow the whistle, leave his job, and sound the alarm about Siri recordings. Don’t miss this dramatic, essential episode!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
It’s a holiday gift! In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with leading whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn about the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Whistleblower Improvement Act. Get an inside look into how the bill was passed and the lengths to which whistleblowers and advocates went to get the legislation through. Learn about what makes this bill so special and how it will help fight worldwide corruption and empower whistleblowers.
WNN published a video version of the podcast on YouTube.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“We just can’t wait. The Ukrainian people can’t wait.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with leading whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn about what he dubs “maybe the most important anti-corruption law in the last 50 years.” Kohn explains the importance of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Whistleblower Improvement Act. He talks about how the bill would be instrumental in fighting corruption in the U.S. and around the world, how it can help Ukrainians during the war, and its power to hold Russian oligarchs accountable.
“Let’s give the Ukrainian people a Christmas gift: an ability to empower whistleblowers to track down that money,” Kohn says. He talks about the bill getting unanimously approved in the Senate and tells listeners what to do in order to push action in the House and get the bill passed during the lame duck session. Listen to this crucial episode now!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“The culture needs to change.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with veteran and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) whistleblower Paula Pedene. Pedene, author of A Sacred Duty, blew the whistle on misconduct at a VA hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. She talks with Turner about her military service, working for the VA, and the wait time scandal that Pedene says had fatal costs for veterans.
View a video version of the interview on WNN's YouTube channel!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
"Participating in any way was going to be a moral problem." In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Special Agent Steve Friend. Friend‘s allegations about the FBI’s handling of the January 6, 2021, insurrection investigation made waves on Capitol Hill. Listen now, or catch the video version on WNN's YouTube channel!
“The only one who suffered consequences was me.” In this episode, Jane Turner talks with James Wasserstrom, often hailed as the first UN whistleblower. Wasserstrom worked for the UN for 28 years and talks with Turner about discovering corruption in Kosovo's public utilities. He then describes his unbelievable story of blowing the whistle…a story that includes being arrested and taken to the capital of Kosovo by armed escort. Listen now!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower and host Jane Turner talks with Mark Worth, Executive Director of Whistleblowing International and the European Center for Whistleblower Rights. Worth talks about his work on international whistleblower issues, whistleblowing in Europe, and how he supports whistleblowers every day. Learn more about WNN's international correspondent in this episode!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Jackie Garrick, whistleblower and founder of Whistleblowers of America and the Workplace Promise Institute. Garrick talks about her military service and experience working with veterans, the technique of peer support, and the mission of the Workplace Promise Institute. Enjoy this engaging episode!
“I would never have believed that this sort of stuff was going on in the banking sector.” In this episode, Jane Turner talks with Australian bank whistleblower Jeff Morris. Morris gives the “reader’s digest” version of his whistleblower case, details what he blew the whistle on, and talks about how he changed the banking industry."
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“Whistleblowers are subject to a wide range of abuses.” In the second installment of this podcast episode, Dr. Nigel MacLennan provides information about the psychology of people who retaliate against whistleblowers. In part I of Dr. MacLennan’s podcast, he talks about the psychology of whistleblowers, provides mental health tips for whistleblowers, and much more.
In part II, Dr. MacLennan talks with FBI whistleblower Jane Turner about various kinds of abuses that whistleblowers experience at the hands of retaliators. He discusses topics like double binds, the “toxic triad,” (narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths), and what he calls the “spiral of silent complicity,” which provides insight into just how hard it is to speak out against wrongdoing. He also talks about microaggressions and the various ways they can take shape.
During a question and answer session, Dr. MacLennan talks about how a whistleblower can protect their mental and emotional state and discusses warning signs that you may be working for an abusive offender. He also gives whistleblowers and allies alike advice for enduring retaliation.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
What a price the people who save our society from wrongdoing are paying for doing so.” This week's Whistleblower of the Week podcast is a two-part episode: one on whistleblowers and one on people who retaliate against them. In this first part of the episode, Dr. Nigel MacLennan, an author, professor, leadership coach, and Executive Psychotherapist talks with FBI whistleblower Jane Turner about the psychology of whistleblowers and takes a scientific approach to analyzing the struggles many whistleblowers face. The second part of the episode will feature Dr. MacLennan’s reflections on retaliators and people who antagonize whistleblowers. Part II of the podcast with Dr. MacLennan will be published tomorrow!
In this segment, Dr. MacLennan delves into the psychology of whistleblowers. He talks with Turner about the toll blowing the whistle can take on a “hero of integrity,” his word for whistleblowers. Dr. MacLennan discusses the mental health struggles with which whistleblowers can grapple. How can the five stages of grief be different for whistleblowers? How should a whistleblower deal with retaliation? Dr. MacLennan provides insights into these questions and more: don’t miss his tips for whistleblowers on how to care for your mental health after encountering adversity as a whistleblower.
In a question and answer portion of the podcast, Dr. MacLennan tackles Turner’s questions about gender discrimination, getting back into the workforce after experiencing retaliation, how the whistleblowing community and movement should move forward, and more. Don’t miss this incredible episode, and stay tuned for part II of the Dr. MacLennan podcast coming tomorrow!
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“My sole hope is that other Volunteers don’t have to go through what I went through.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner catches up with Peace Corps whistleblower Sara Thompson. Thompson served in the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso and experienced medical complications from taking mefloquine, a controversial anti-malaria medicine that the Corps administered. Since her service, she has been fighting for expanded rights, including whistleblower protections, for Peace Corps Volunteers.
In this episode, Thompson catches Jane up on the two pieces of Peace Corps reform legislation, one of which is in the House and one in the Senate. She talks about the specifics of the bills and the reforms they make and shouts out other people who have been important in the making of these bills.
Thompson tells Turner about how she got involved in the making of the legislation, provides an overview of her Peace Corps story (you can listen to her full story here), and talks about the shortcomings of the reform bills. They also discuss the next steps for the legislation and how Thompson has become someone that other returned Volunteers go to for guidance and support. Get the latest from Thompson in this engaging episode!
Read a written Whistleblower of the Week profile on Thompson here.
Listen to a previous podcast on which Thompson was featured here.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“I was a counter-narrative…to something they were trying to spin.” Join FBI whistleblower Jane Turner in conversation with Dr. Allison Gill, VA whistleblower, Founder of MSW Media, and Host of the Mueller, She Wrote and The Daily Beans podcasts. In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, Dr. Gill recounts her time working for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a liaison to the Department of Defense for the VA to TRICARE and tells the story of how she was forced out of her position. She talks with Turner about her reasons for not filing a whistleblower complaint and the specifics behind her removal from her government job.
In this episode, Dr. Gill also talks about her highly successful podcast Mueller, She Wrote and discusses what happened when the podcast came out. She details going on to get her Ph.D, her coping mechanisms and how she pushes forward, and the current status of her case. Finally, Dr. Gill talks about her current work on the podcasts and the media network she founded, and provides a piece of advice that she wants every whistleblower to know. This is a must-listen episode!
Dr. Gill will be the keynote speaker for the National Whistleblower Center’s National Whistleblower Day celebration this year. Learn more here.
Read the 2020 Whistleblower of the Week profile on Dr. Gill here.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“They saw me as a problem.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks to Noel McGree, who blew the whistle on corruption in the Irish prison service. Learn more about whistleblowing law in Ireland as McGree talks about lending his knowledge and advising in the country’s implementation of the EU whistleblowing directive. McGree delves into his whistleblower story: in 2013, he was asked to participate in theft while working in a prison. After refusing to participate in the theft, McGree experienced retaliation and was removed from his catering duties. He made a health and safety report that later became defined as a whistleblowing act, and a judge ruled in McGree’s favor in the case. However, retaliation against McGree worsened after the judge’s ruling.
McGree describes being harassed by his colleagues at work and tells Turner that his family was put at risk as well. He talks about the extensive toll blowing the whistle has taken on his and his family’s lives. McGree also discusses ways in which he has used his circumstances to better the system for other whistleblowers: he impacted change at the prison when a protected disclosures office and manager was created there. McGree talks with Turner about his plans for the future, his support systems, being a founding member of Blowers Ireland, and how a job he found after leaving the prison service was a welcome breath of fresh air. Don’t miss this incredible whistleblower’s story!
Subscribe to the Whistleblower of the Week podcast on your favorite platform!
In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner speaks with Stephen Kohn, Founding Partner of law firm Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto and Founder and Chairman of the Board of the National Whistleblower Center. Kohn, a whistleblower attorney and expert in the field, discusses what's going on the international world of whistleblowing, having just returned from a trip to London. During his trip, Kohn talked with bank investigators about how they have whistleblower rights under U.S. laws and also explained the unique procedures that investigators and auditors can utilize to obtain protection.
"We work overtime to demonstrate that anti-corruption knows no bounds." Kohn chats with Turner about his long standing work spreading the "good news" that whistleblowing works to lawmakers and regulators, both at home and abroad. Turner asks about success stories from spreading the word about the efficacy of whistleblowing around the world, and Kohn talks about the positive changes he's seeing in whistleblowing developments throughout the world.
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“I was not going to be silenced, and the world needed to know.” In their first appearance on a show together, Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, U.S. Treasury Department whistleblower, and Jason Leopold, investigative reporter who helped bring Edwards’ story to the public, discuss their stories. In a conversation with FBI whistleblower Jane Turner, Edwards talks about the wrongdoing she witnessed while working for the Treasury Department’s FinCEN division, her decision to come forward and blow the whistle on the illicit activity, and how she went through all the right reporting channels and still ended up serving time in prison. Leopold discusses the impact that Edwards’ disclosures had worldwide, his role as a journalist, the FinCEN files, and the sacrifices Edwards made to speak truth to power. Don’t miss this powerful episode!
Donate to Edwards’ GoFundMe fundraiser here.
Read parts I, II, III, and IV of Edwards’ story on WNN.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, FBI whistleblower Jane talks with Trevor Kitchen, who blew the whistle on currency manipulation. Kitchen expressed that he was in a “very serious situation” and that “nowhere in the EU is safe” for him and his wife because of an arrest warrant. These fears would ring true when, on April 21, Kitchen was detained by Dutch officials at Schiphol Airport while he and his wife were attempting to travel. His detention occurred a mere week after this podcast episode was recorded. Fortunately, Kitchen was released on May 4 and told WNN he will be preparing a statement and catching up on much-needed sleep in the coming days.
Kitchen blew the whistle in 2011 after he noticed that his pension of 700,000 Swiss francs lost all of its value. He “exposed a scheme in which a major currency trader and several banks in multiple countries colluded to lower the values of the U.S. dollar and the British sterling pound for their own financial gain,” prior WNN reporting states. He was arrested in Portugal on January 19, 2021, on a European arrest warrant, which accused him of “crimes against personal honor, violation of privacy and threats,” according to the Whistleblower of the Week profile featuring Kitchen. On June 9, 2021, a Court of Appeals in Portugal ruled against a Swiss request for Kitchen’s extradition.
During this podcast episode, Kitchen starts off his story with what happened to him after he left the island of Madeira after winning the Swiss extradition case. He talks about what happened with the arrest warrants and criminal proceedings against him; he also describes basically living off the grid on his Swiss pension, without healthcare and too afraid to travel and visit family.
He tells Turner about his background in the financial industry and describes what exactly he blew the whistle on – and the way he went about it. Kitchen discusses how even though the disclosures about the currency manipulation led to financial sanctions against the banks involved, none of the whistleblowers involved, including Kitchen, got one cent. He sets the record straight on what he was raising concerns about and how his faith in regulators has been shaken. Additionally, Kitchen talks about the severe repercussions he has had to face due to his whistleblowing, how currency manipulation affects the average person, and continuing his whistleblower fight for over 11 years.
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“I was the living evidence of their negligence.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Nestlé whistleblower Dr. Yasmine Motarjemi. Dr. Motarjemi joined Nestlé in 2000 as its corporate food safety manager and was in charge of food safety at the global level, working in the head office based in Switzerland. She talks with Jane about her education and career path to Nestlé and details the food safety issues at the company she soon noticed, telling Turner that in the first 5 or 6 years of her time at Nestlé, it was a “battle to improve food safety.” Some of the things Dr. Motarjemi tried to raise awareness about within the company were babies choking on certain Nestlé biscuits, chemicals in pet food, and E. coli found in cookie dough. In 2005, she advocated for transparency in a situation in which infant formula had to be recalled because of a presence of ink from the packaging. She and Turner discuss the global ramifications of these food safety issues.
In this episode, Dr. Motarjemi also talks with Turner about the efforts she went to to raise concerns about the food safety issues and mishandling of food safety management. She delves into the harsh and extensive retaliation and psychological harassment she faced; she also talks about the repercussions of said retaliation on her physical and mental health. Dr. Motarjemi recounts her battle in court with Nestlé and her fight to prove that she was speaking truth to power and trying to protect consumers. Finally, she and Turner talk about having a fierce spirit of a whistleblower and what shaped her strong conscience.
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“This is about all whistleblowers.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner continues her conversation with Stephanie Van de Motter, who blew the whistle on safety concerns at a luxury apartment building in Santa Monica. In the last episode, Van de Motter provided background on her journey to getting a dream job at 1221 Ocean Avenue and excelling at her job and then detailed her whistleblower story and how the situation took a turn for the worst. In this episode, she picks up her story by talking about being constructively discharged from her role at the apartment building, going through the arbitration, and the fight to get attorney’s fees.
Turner and Van de Motter talk about the struggles of being women whistleblowers, and Van de Motter describes the hardships she faced at a job following her job with the Irvine Company where she blew the whistle. Van de Motter then discusses her transition to becoming a whistleblower advocate and talks about the Silenced No More Foundation, a peer-to-peer support group for whistleblowers. She highlights aspirations for the foundation and goals to inspire and aid the next generation of whistleblowers through personal storytelling and providing platforms for whistleblowers to share their experiences.
Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform, and be sure to listen to part I of Van de Motter’s story on WNN as well!
“Whistleblowing is a process and not an event.” In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Stephanie Van de Motter, who worked and lived in 1221 Ocean Avenue, a luxury apartment building in Santa Monica owned by the Irvine Company. Van de Motter talks about her journey from Michigan to California and the dream job she landed, where she brushed shoulders with the rich and famous and created a community at the apartment building. She details her discovery of a systemic mold and water intrusion problem at the complex. Van de Motter then talks about the ways in which the company first tried to hide the problems and then fix the issues — but in ways that endangered residents, defied safety standards, and prioritized profits.
Van de Motter recalls her whistleblower journey, her fight for attorney’s fees, and describes how the company retaliated against her. She provides insights into the personal toll retaliation has taken on her and how she has been blackballed in her industry. Finally, she talks with Turner about her hope for the future generations of whistleblowers and starts to discuss her advocacy for whistleblower rights and the foundation she started, the Silenced No More Foundation. Part II of Van de Motter’s episode, where she talks more about her advocacy work and gives more insight into her case, will be published on April 11: stay tuned!
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In this episode, Jane talks with Siri Nelson, Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center (NWC). Nelson discusses the ins and outs of information whistleblowers need to know and how they can get help. She talks about the advocacy, education, and policy work NWC does and looks to the future, highlighting her goals for the organization over the next 10 years. Nelson also gives insight into her personal background, career path, and how she became interested in whistleblower issues.
They discuss cultural attitudes towards whistleblowers and how these attitudes may have shifted in recent years, shining a light on international whistleblowers, and NWC’s yearly National Whistleblower Day celebration.
Listen to the podcast on the Whistleblower Network News website or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
Corrections: Nelson said that the SEC gave over $1 billion in sanctions but meant that the SEC paid over $1 billion in whistleblower awards.
Additionally, she said the name of the Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act incorrectly: the bill title is as written here.
“I think the world of whistleblowers.” In this episode, Jane talks with Judge Alex Ferrer, a former police officer, Circuit Court Judge, star of the nationally syndicated courtroom TV show “Judge Alex,” and host of the CBS TV show “Whistleblower.” Ferrer discusses his background and start as a promising young police officer in Florida and details his journey of becoming the youngest Circuit Court judge at the time. He talks about his dramatic transition to television and being offered a TV show, being voted the most trustworthy daytime TV host, and how the show “Whistleblower” came about.
Take a peek behind the scenes with Ferrer as he describes pitching the show and how it came about, the way in which whistleblowers were chosen to have their stories featured on the show, and Ferrer’s vision for the program. He and Jane also discuss the power of the False Claims Act, what sets whistleblowers apart, and all the incredible whistleblower stories that have yet to be told. Finally, Ferrer talks about his continued advocacy for whistleblowers and what’s next for him.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In the second part of a two-part episode, Jane continues her conversation with Mike German, an FBI whistleblower who blew the whistle on illegal wire-tapping. In the first part of the podcast, German talked about his journey through the FBI and described his whistleblowing experience. In this episode, German provides more information about his experience going undercover in neo-Nazi and white supremacist circles. He and Jane talk about further misconduct at the FBI and the similarities between different FBI whistleblowers’ stories. German also provides insight on the January 6th attack on the Capitol and white supremacy under the Trump Administration. The two FBI whistleblowers also discuss changes the FBI could make in their hiring practices to encourage diversity and ponder the question: why would the FBI lie?
Listen to part 1 of the Mike German episode here.
Read the Whistleblower of the Week profile on German here.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In the first part of a two-part episode, Jane talks with Mike German, an FBI whistleblower. German talks about his journey through the FBI and provides incredible, in-depth insight about going undercover in neo-Nazi and white supremacist circles. He shares his wealth of knowledge about this topic and discusses the illegal wire-tapping on which he blew the whistle. German talks about the retaliation he faced for blowing the whistle, and he and Jane discuss internal whistleblowing at the Bureau.
The second part of the Mike German episode will be posted tomorrow: stay tuned! In the second part of the episode, German gives more details about his whistleblowing case, provides insight into the January 6th attacks on the Capitol, and talks with Jane about the Bureau at large.
Read the Whistleblower of the Week profile on German here.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“The veteran community needs more than just barbecues.” In this episode, Jane chats with Scott Davis, who blew the whistle while working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Davis talks about his whistleblowing experience, the culture at the VA, and the injustices he has faced on his whistleblower journey. Davis also discusses his future at the VA, support from the veteran community, and how everyone can help elevate veterans’ stories in meaningful ways.
Read the Whistleblower of the Week profile on Davis here.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“I was a whistleblower from day 1.” In this exclusive interview and her first media appearance since being released from prison, FinCEN whistleblower Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards tells her story in her own words. Edwards talks with FBI whistleblower Jane Turner about her career journey through the intelligence community, eventually landing at the Treasury Department. She talks about what she witnessed at Treasury, serving time in prison for exposing information to the public, and the horrific conditions she was subjected to while inside. Finally, Edwards discusses her next steps.
The views expressed by podcast guests are their own and not the view of the Whistleblower Network News.
Donate to Edwards’ GoFundMe fundraiser here.
Read Edwards’ story in four parts on WNN.
In this episode, Jane thanks the brave whistleblowers who have appeared on WNN’s Whistleblower of the Week podcast as well as listeners of the podcast. She thanks each of the 13 whistleblowers whose stories have appeared on the podcast and looks forward to continuing sharing stories that deserve to be told in 2022.
View the full Whistleblower of the Week podcast archives here.
Click here to donate to WNN and support the podcast.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
*This will be the last Full Episode of the Year!! We are excited to bring you new stories and interviews in 2022! Until then, everyone stay safe and stay healthy!
In this episode, Jane chats with three whistleblower experts to round out 2021: Georgina Halford-Hall, Chief Executive of WhistleblowersUK, Siri Nelson, Executive Director of National Whistleblower Center, and Paul Milata, General Manager of Nemexis. The group talks about the whistleblower and whistleblower advocate community at large, efforts to establish an Office of the Whistleblower in the UK, and the idea of a world whistleblower office and centralized whistleblower programs.
The group also talks about the EU Whistleblowing Directive. They discuss the status of different EU Member States transposing the directive and where some Member States are falling short. Additionally, they discuss whistleblower awards and the issue of restrictive labor contracts. Finally, they talk about what they want for whistleblower legislation and initiatives in 2022.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“I soldiered on.” In this episode, Jane Turner and FBI whistleblower Theresa Foley continue their conversation about Foley’s powerful, tragic whistleblower story. Foley talks about the pain and suffering she has gone through due to medical issues stemming from leptospirosis, a disease she contracted while stationed in Guantanamo Bay. Foley describes her fight to obtain some kind of relief from the agency that turned its back on her and the pain she continues to experience on a daily basis. She also talks about what the future holds for her and the support systems that have been important to her over the years.
This is the second part of the Foley episode: listen to the first part above.
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
“I simply thought I was doing what you should do as an FBI agent.” In the first of a two-part episode, Jane talks with Theresa Foley, an FBI whistleblower and the first female agent to be assigned to Guantanamo Bay full-time. Foley talks about her journey becoming an FBI agent and the horrors she suffered once stationed at Guantanamo Bay, including contracting leptospirosis, an illness she got from rats that infested her deplorable living quarters. The illness has had serious, lasting effects that drained her athleticism and caused severe pain. Foley also discusses the “vicious” retaliation and sexual harassment she was subjected to while stationed at Guantanamo Bay, as well as the moment she knew she had a target on her back.
Stay tuned for the second part of this episode!
Listen to the podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
In this episode, Jane talks with Gretchen Peters, a journalist, author, and crime expert. Peters is the Executive Director of the Center on Illicit Networks and Transnational Organized Crime (CINTOC) and the Executive Director and Founder of Alliance to Counter Crime Online (ACCO). Peters talks about how wildlife crime and other forms of criminal activity functions on Facebook and discusses developing the legal strategy of filing whistleblower complaints with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about Facebook’s conduct. She also talks about current legislation that addresses online safety and what the future might hold for online platforms like Facebook.
Read a Whistleblower of the Week profile of Peters here.
In this episode, Jane talks with John Clarke, a social worker, lay theologian, journalist, and whistleblower advocate in South Africa. Clarke discusses his work in South Africa supporting whistleblowers who have faced incredible adversity. He also explains the idea of “state capture” and the brutal ways in which whistleblowers have been treated in South Africa.
Interested in Clarke’s work? Visit his website and YouTube channel.
In this episode, Jane talks with Jason Leopold, a senior investigative reporter at BuzzFeed News whose notable work includes reporting on the FinCEN Files, a project in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that consisted of thousands of documents pointing to large-scale global financial corruption. The documents were sourced primarily from U.S. Treasury whistleblower Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, who was sentenced to six months in jail for one conspiracy charge.
Leopold discusses his approach to working with whistleblowers and sources and talks about his views on how whistleblowers should go about finding reporters to tell their stories.
Read Jane’s Whistleblower of the Week profiles on Natalie Edwards on Whistleblower Network News, and listen and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform!
In this episode, Jane talks with Rosemary Dew, one of the first hundred women to join the FBI. Dew discusses her experience moving up the ranks of the FBI, the treatment she received from superiors and fellow agents, and her decision to share her story with the media. Turner and Dew discuss working in the FBI as both women and whistleblowers, and how the Bureau deals with both groups in insidious ways.
Dew is the author of “Your FBI: How the FBI Suppresses Whistleblowers to Hide FBI Scandals and Crimes,” which highlights the stories of fifteen FBI whistleblowers, including well-known figures like Frederic Whitehurst and Bassem Youssef. Dew discusses a selection of stories from the book and what she’s learned from her research in compiling whistleblower stories
In this episode, Jane talks with James Davidson, a former FBI agent and President of non-partisan organization Protect the FBI. The organization aims to empower FBI employees to speak up and make whistleblower complaints without fear of retaliation. Davidson talks about the internal culture of the FBI and how he realized that the whistleblowing and disciplinary process at the FBI needed reform. He also discusses Protect the FBI’s plans to empower FBI employees and keep them standing strong in their speaking truth to power.
In this episode, Jane talks with Trevor Kitchen, a whistleblower who brought attention to currency manipulation involving the British pound, U.S. dollar, and Swiss franc. Kitchen discusses the manner in which and to whom he reported the misconduct. He also talks about the intense retaliation he has persevered through to this day for his 2011 whistleblowing and the personal toll that his whistleblower disclosure has taken.
Read Jane’s write-up about Kitchen’s case on the Whistleblower Network News website.
In this episode, Jane talks with Georgina Halford-Hall, founding member and Chief Executive of not for profit organization WhistleblowersUK. Halford-Hall discusses her career path and blowing the whistle at a nonprofit she worked at. She talks with Jane about retaliation she endured for speaking up and the state of whistleblowing laws in the UK. Finally, she highlights the work WhistleblowersUK is doing to raise awareness about whistleblowers and shift the paradigm that is currently associated with whistleblowers.
Listen to the Whistleblower of the Week podcast here on WNNor on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
With the 20th anniversary of the Enron scandal fast approaching, Enron whistleblower Sherron Watkins continues her conversation with Jane Turner. (This is a two-part episode: be sure to listen to the first part here!) In this part, Watkins talks about sending the anonymous memo to Enron’s then-CEO and Chairman Kenneth Lay. Watkins and Jane dive deeper into the fallout from blowing the whistle, how Watkins was retaliated against at work, and the impact Watkins’ whistleblowing had on legislation in the states. Finally, they discuss the restorative power of faith.
Listen to the Whistleblower of the Week podcast here on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts. Subscribe on your favorite platform!
Sherron Watkins, Enron whistleblower, sits down with Jane as we approach the 20-year anniversary of the Enron scandal. Watkins worked her way up to Vice President of Corporate Development, and later blew the whistle on financial fraud in an anonymous memo to Enron’s then-CEO. Watkins talks about her upbringing in a small Texas town, being a person of faith, and her journey in accounting and financial services. They discuss the fraud and folly Watkins discovered, sending the infamous memo, and what came next. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now and listen to the second part of Jane’s conversation with Watkins!
In this episode, Jane talks with FBI forensic laboratory whistleblower Frederic Whitehurst. Whitehurst, a veteran and accomplished FBI agent, earned a Ph.D in chemistry and worked at the FBI laboratory as a Supervisory Special Agent. He blew the whistle on misconduct at the lab, noting the outdated and dirty equipment, and bringing attention to instances where lab employees committed perjury and altered records in favor of the prosecution.
They discuss Whitehurst’s journey to the FBI lab, the activities on which he blew the whistle, and his navigating through the Bureau as he constantly tried to speak up against wrongdoing. Whitehurst provides updates on his organization, the Forensic Justice Project, and discusses the ways he’s working to be an advocate for whistleblowers after his illustrious career.
In this episode, Jane talks with Peace Corps whistleblower Sara Thompson. Thompson was a volunteer in Burkina Faso, and came out of her service with medical complications due to mefloquine, a controversial anti-malaria medicine administered by the Corps. Almost a decade later, Thompson still experiences severe side effects from mefloquine toxicity, and has been denied redress by the Corps and the courts.
They talk about Thompson’s decision to join the Corps, her experiences in Burkina Faso, and how few options volunteers have when they’ve been wronged. After finishing her service, Thompson became an advocate for whistleblower protections on Capitol Hill, fighting for volunteers who faced hardships during their service and found no support from the Corps upon returning home.
Want to help fight for Peace Corps volunteers? Please sign the National Whistleblower Center’s Action Alert urging your representatives to pass Rep. Garamendi’s Peace Corps Reauthorization Act and protect whistleblowers.
In this episode, Jane talks with famed whistleblower Frank Serpico, who blew the whistle on corruption in the NYPD in the 1960s and 70s. Serpico’s heroic actions inspired a Hollywood adaptation of his experiences and he’s since become a major figure in the whistleblower community. Serpico talks with Jane about the aftermath of his disclosures, his views on blowing the whistle today versus when he did it, and how he’s dealing with the fame from his case. They also talk contemporary law enforcement culture, the ongoing Derek Chauvin murder trial, and the pervasive corruption of the Cuomo administration.