WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2019 — A new ABA Legal Fact Check posted today explores the extent to which the identities and careers of government whistleblowers are protected by federal law, including the whistleblower who triggered the inquiry that led to the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Since the September revelation that an intelligence officer assigned to the White House filed a whistleblower complaint after a telephone call between the presidents of the U.S. and Ukraine, considerable attention has focused on whether it is a violation of federal law to publicly identify the whistleblower. The new fact check discusses several applicable laws, and notes that unmasking the whistleblower in this instance would not likely result in a civil or criminal violation. Still, the law does provide the whistleblower with some job protections.
ABA Legal Fact Check seeks to help the media and public find dependable answers and explanations to sometimes confusing legal questions and issues. This fall, for instance, a fact check explored the law and history behind impeachment.
The URL for the site is www.abalegalfactcheck.com. Follow us on Twitter @ABAFactCheck.
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