Today is National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, and we want to share our appreciation for some of our strongest allies in this work. Whistleblowers are a key line of defense against corruption. They force the truth to come to light from the more opaque parts of our government. Their truth-telling in turn prompts oversight, accountability, and even real change. This was the case at a little-known federal agency we investigated earlier this year, where a whistleblower raised concerns about a $100 million development project in Congo and Zambia that presented significant human rights concerns and environmental risks, including the displacement of nearly 10,000 people. The whistleblower, after being fired from their position, informed the agency’s inspector general of their concerns. The agency went on to call off the project. Whistleblowers have done so much to preserve the integrity of our institutions, prevent the waste of taxpayer dollars, even to protect our safety — often, unfortunately, at the risk of their own livelihood, because of insufficient federal protections against workplace retaliation. We believe strongly in the importance of a nonpartisan federal workforce who feel safe and empowered to call out waste, fraud, and abuse. That’s why we fight hard for federal whistleblower protections: so that the truth can come to light. POGO was founded in 1981 by Pentagon whistleblowers who were concerned about wasteful spending. Four decades later, we continue to work with truth-tellers and civil servants across the federal government to create a more accountable and effective democracy that truly serves the people. Thank you to all the whistleblowers who make our democracy stronger. — POGO | 
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