Committee Democrats Reiterate Support for Whistleblowers and Government Watchdogs

Washington, D.C. (January 22, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led Committee Democrats in sending letters to Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Chairperson of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), offering their support in preserving transparency, accountability, and independence within OSC and the Inspectors General (IG) community.   

“We write with appreciation for the important work of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) and its role as an independent agency that protects federal workers, including whistleblowers, and investigates potential wrongdoing through thorough, transparent, and independent investigations.  We invite you to contact Committee Democrats if at any time your independence or transparency is undermined,” wrote the Members in their letter to Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger.  “OSC can only do its work if whistleblowers know they are safe to come forward to report misconduct.  During his last term, President Trump investigated, publicly attacked, and stripped key protections away from whistleblowers who felt it was their patriotic duty to stand up against abuses of power.”

“We write in support of the critical mission of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) to aid in the establishment and maintenance of a professional, well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs), including conducting independent investigations into allegations of wrongdoing by inspectors general (IGs) and their senior staff.  We invite CIGIE to communicate with Committee Democrats if we can be helpful in preserving transparency, accountability, and independence within the IG community,” wrote the Members in their letter to Inspector General Ware.  “This is of particular relevance when the presidential administration in power is hostile to federal oversight and the independence of IGs.” 

In their letters, Committee Democrats cite President Trump’s history of prioritizing loyalty over accountability, including instances in which President Trump removed IGs and targeted whistleblowers that enforced transparency and accountability, inconvenienced him, or exposed his own abuses of power.  For example, Trump targeted Intelligence Community IG Michael Atkinson after the IG notified Congress that a whistleblower raised concerns about President Trump’s conduct on a call with officials with Ukraine, leading the House of Representatives to impeach then-President Trump for the first time.  He also repeatedly lashed out at Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the whistleblower who informed lawmakers of presidential misconduct during the 2019 impeachment hearings.

Click here to read the letter to OSC. 

Click here to read the letter to CIGIE. 

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