U.S. agency warned over threatening whistleblowers

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. agency warned over threatening whistleblowers
Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:28PM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Managers at the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences may have threatened employees about
testifying to Congress about problems there, Chuck Grassley, ranking
member on the Senate Finance Committee, said on Thursday.

He asked National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni to
ensure that employees at the agency know they are free to testify.

"Several people, both inside and outside of NIEHS, alerted my staff
to the fact that NIEHS employees have recently had discussions with
management that left them with the impression that there would be
retaliation if it was discovered that they had provided information
to among others, congressional investigators," Grassley, an Iowa
Republican, wrote in the letter.

"Such discussions can and often do have a chilling effect on NIEHS
employees' sharing with Congress needed information. For example,
one employee said that it was implied that leaks of information
could affect employee bonuses."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1237466720070712

[aquart]

1. What is the penalty for threatening an employee?

However obliquely?

[Indenturedebtor]

2. If there is a penalty...

It would probably have to be a law that applies to governmental institutions only. It's common practice in the corporate world. Of course this government is the corporate world so they'll prolly just pull the Cheney arguement heh.