source: NPR
Pentagon Papers, Minus 11 Words, To Be Released
source: Government Accountability Project<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o
></o>
Pentagon Papers Released, but National Security Whistleblower Tom Drake Still Persecuted
As reported today by the NYT, the complete Pentagon Papers are set to (finally) be released, about 40 years after making headline news. The whistleblower in that case, Daniel Ellsberg, has been recognized widely by the 'good government' community as the "patron saint" of whistleblowing. At a time when the negative connotations involved with whistleblowers were enormous and all too commonplace, he put his professional career, reputation, and the overall well-being of his family on the line to speak the truth about the Vietnam War. Ellsberg, who has graciously appeared with GAP on several occasions to promote our work and the importance of the phenomenon, was on the right side of history.
This announcement comes at an interesting time, because there's another prominent whistleblower who's about to go to trial -- who's also on the right side of history. Former NSA employee Tom Drake is being prosecuted under the Espionage Act for retaining, not leaking, classified information about a data collection program that was amazingly expensive, threatening to Americans' privacy rights, and wholly undeveloped, despite the availability of a cost-effective, functional alternative that respected Americans' privacy.
Drake (a GAP client) did what he was supposed to do, raising concerns through official channels first -- including senior NSA management, the Defense Department's inspector general, and Congress. You would like to think that the progress made by the American government with regards to the whistleblower system, since Ellsberg's disclosures, would have never allowed for Drake's allegations to be sat on, and done nothing with. This, unfortunately, is not the case. His concerns were ignored.
Like Ellsberg, Drake started communicating with a reporter from the Baltimore Sun, which then published a series of articles that exposed a billion-dollar affront to privacy rights that ultimately achieved nothing (for a fuller picture of Drake's story, read the New Yorker or watch 60 Minutes). Here's a big difference, though, between Drake and Ellsberg -- Drake never shared any classified information whatsoever. The government isn’t even charging him with doing so. He's being charged under the Espionage Act for wrongfully retaining classified information. This seems to be a stretch by many accounts - even in the opinion of the Washington Post editorial board.
Like Ellsberg, however, Drake is enjoying popular support. GAP delivered a petition to the heads of both the Senate and House of Representatives Judiciary Committees, as well as Attorney General Eric Holder, last Friday. Signed by over 4,100 citizens, the petition demanded greater oversight of the Department of Justice (DoJ) by the Judiciary committees, and that Holder drop the case.
America has certainly made strides in federal whistleblower protection since 1971. It's too bad that it hasn’t gone far enough to protect patriots like Tom Drake who do the right thing and stand up for Americans' rights.
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Pentagon Papers, Minus 11 Words, To Be Released
source: Government Accountability Project<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o>Pentagon Papers Released, but National Security Whistleblower Tom Drake Still Persecuted
As reported today by the NYT, the complete Pentagon Papers are set to (finally) be released, about 40 years after making headline news. The whistleblower in that case, Daniel Ellsberg, has been recognized widely by the 'good government' community as the "patron saint" of whistleblowing. At a time when the negative connotations involved with whistleblowers were enormous and all too commonplace, he put his professional career, reputation, and the overall well-being of his family on the line to speak the truth about the Vietnam War. Ellsberg, who has graciously appeared with GAP on several occasions to promote our work and the importance of the phenomenon, was on the right side of history.
This announcement comes at an interesting time, because there's another prominent whistleblower who's about to go to trial -- who's also on the right side of history. Former NSA employee Tom Drake is being prosecuted under the Espionage Act for retaining, not leaking, classified information about a data collection program that was amazingly expensive, threatening to Americans' privacy rights, and wholly undeveloped, despite the availability of a cost-effective, functional alternative that respected Americans' privacy.
Drake (a GAP client) did what he was supposed to do, raising concerns through official channels first -- including senior NSA management, the Defense Department's inspector general, and Congress. You would like to think that the progress made by the American government with regards to the whistleblower system, since Ellsberg's disclosures, would have never allowed for Drake's allegations to be sat on, and done nothing with. This, unfortunately, is not the case. His concerns were ignored.
Like Ellsberg, Drake started communicating with a reporter from the Baltimore Sun, which then published a series of articles that exposed a billion-dollar affront to privacy rights that ultimately achieved nothing (for a fuller picture of Drake's story, read the New Yorker or watch 60 Minutes). Here's a big difference, though, between Drake and Ellsberg -- Drake never shared any classified information whatsoever. The government isn’t even charging him with doing so. He's being charged under the Espionage Act for wrongfully retaining classified information. This seems to be a stretch by many accounts - even in the opinion of the Washington Post editorial board.
Like Ellsberg, however, Drake is enjoying popular support. GAP delivered a petition to the heads of both the Senate and House of Representatives Judiciary Committees, as well as Attorney General Eric Holder, last Friday. Signed by over 4,100 citizens, the petition demanded greater oversight of the Department of Justice (DoJ) by the Judiciary committees, and that Holder drop the case.
America has certainly made strides in federal whistleblower protection since 1971. It's too bad that it hasn’t gone far enough to protect patriots like Tom Drake who do the right thing and stand up for Americans' rights.
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