NASA whistle-blowers retaliated against by Bush appointee

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NASA pilots' case to get federal investigation
The head of the office that will probe alleged whistle-blower retaliation is under investigation but denies wrongdoing.
BY DAVID LERMAN

May 13, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Two former pilots from NASA Langley Research Center who say they were punished for raising safety concerns can take heart in this: Their case has been referred to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for investigation.

But the head of that office, Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch, is himself under investigation. Among the allegations: He retaliated against whistle-blowers.

The irony was not lost on the two research pilots - Robert Rivers and Jeffrey Moultrie - who have been trying to prove their allegations of whistle-blower retaliation for the past four years.

"It's just comical," said Moultrie, now an instructor pilot for astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It just seems to me there is no accountability in the system."

Bloch, appointed by President Bush, has denied any wrongdoing and continues to investigate cases. His little-known office of about 100 lawyers and investigators - tiny by Washington standards - is designed to protect federal employees from illegal employment practices, "especially retaliation for whistle-blowing," according to an office news release.

Despite steady criticism that has hounded him almost since he assumed office in 2003, Bloch soldiers on. He made headlines last month by investigating whether top White House officials used federal time and resources for Republican campaign purposes.

But critics say Bloch is a tainted investigator - and that federal whistle-blowers such as the NASA pilots have little hope of winning protection.

"The system is totally broken," said Beth Daley, director of investigations for the Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group.

"We simply do not have a safe venue for government employees to blow the whistle right now. I regularly advise people not to do it. You won't have help when your boss fires you or ships you off to the desert."

Both say they were grounded as pilots at Langley after challenging management on flight safety issues. Rivers had refused to fly Langley's modified Boeing 757 research jet, saying safety concerns hadn't been addressed.

Gerry Brown, a former aviation manager at Langley, likewise raised safety concerns, then found himself removed from his job and, he said, escorted off the premises. He was later reassigned to a different office. Brown, who has since left NASA, couldn't be reached for comment.

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