Shhh, don't say a word.. Lest you whistle-blowers be charged with crimes.

[MazeRat7]

It appears the Diebold whistle-blower, Stephen Heller, has been charged in L.A. Superior Court with felony access to computer data, commercial burglary, and receiving stolen property. If convicted on all three counts, Heller could face up to three years and eight months in state prison.

So, looks like another case of shoot the messenger so nobody else considers "doing the right thing"....

MZr7

edit: fixed link.sorry.

[9119495]

1. This could be great news. Major media--yes they suck--should

pick it up and hopefully people will being to put Diebold and Corruption together.

Someone should put 60 Minutes and Frontline on it.

[Savannah Progressive]

2. It's the time honored technique of the Repugniks

Hey, it's not like they don't use fear to rule the masses constantly.

[TahitiNut]

3. Charging whistle-blowers with crimes is a standard tactic.

Got documents? They're "private property" or "trade secrets" or "intellectual property." Talking to other employees? That's malicious interference. There's no end to the creativity of corporate lawyers in waging a war against whistle-blowers. Believe it.

[sui generis]

4. Usually when an employee is caught "stealing" or

fucking around, companies like to just get them to resign quietly and move on. You would think that bad publicity about shoddy internal security that any person off the street could hack would try to keep them OUT of the courtroom, but they're probably not that smart.

So the publicity is a great thing, and if it can be shown that Diebold was doing something criminal or criminally negligent then it will be a hard sell to convict him in front of a jury of his peers, and he may even be able to counter sue.

[Yoda Yada]

5. Stronger Whistle-blower Protection Laws...

I think Al Gore mentioned this in his last speech. I don't have a link to it, but I think he made the point for stronger protection.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Did Jim March burn his source?

Did he disclose the guy's name?

One of the activists, Jim March, said he was the person who actually turned over the allegedly stolen documents to the Oakland Tribune and the state attorney general's and secretary of state's offices.