Pentagon maintains 'toxic' environment for whistleblowers, watchdog says
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/10/pentagon-whistleblowers-toxic-project-on-government-oversight-report
Project on Government Oversight cites reports that show investigations take average of 526 days and more than 86% of alleged reprisal cases are dismissed
Pentagon maintains 'toxic' environment for whistleblowers, watchdog says
Spencer Ackerman in New York
Thursday 10 March 2016 17.31 EST
The internal investigations branch of the Pentagon maintains a climate that is toxic to whistleblowers, according to a leading good-government watchdog.
The Project on Government Oversight (Pogo) this week sent a letter to Pentagon inspector general Glenn Fine, seeking urgent changes to an investigative office it says takes years to close cases, dismisses most reprisal allegations made by would-be whistleblowers and allows senior officials to skate on misconduct charges.
The office has taken on a high-profile inquiry into allegations of doctored intelligence about the US war against the Islamic State coming from analysts at US Central Command. The inquiry is being closely watched on Capitol Hill.
Edward Snowden, who made revelations about bulk surveillance in 2013, cited the dismissive and even hostile treatment of National Security Agency whistleblowers by official channels as a motivation.