My organization, the Project On Government Oversight, has long been a supporter of whistleblower Robert MacLean--for good reason. Thanks to Bob, Americans can feel safer stepping on an airplane. In 2003, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) attempted to remove air marshals from "high-risk" flights when there was a heightened intelligence warning of hijackings. MacLean, an air marshal himself, disclosed this dangerous cost-cutting plan. As a result, he was fired.
Now, MacLean only has one more chance to appeal the ruling made by the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which wrongly decided in July that his case did not constitute retaliation. As POGO has pointed out before, this ruling was flawed for several reasons, and MacLean deserves all legal protections afforded to a whistleblower.
MacLean was retaliated against in part because of a policy loophole that essentially amounts to ex post facto law. Like many whistleblowers, MacLean tried to make the disclosure inside his agency but was rebuffed, so he went to the press. Three years later, TSA marked his disclosure—which was an agency-wide, unencrypted text message—as Sensitive Security Information (SSI). TSA then retroactively charged MacLean for mishandling this newly-marked text message by delivering it to the media.
Before MacLean was fired, he had an immaculate record of 14 years of military and federal civil service.If Bob loses his appeal, it will send a message to would-be whistleblowers that they should stay silent.
Click here to get in touch with your Member of Congress about the final appeal. Your voice matters!