Episodes
Thursday Apr 27, 2017
LEGACY BZCAST: Is it Leaking or Whistleblowing -- and it is it even legal?
Thursday Apr 27, 2017
Thursday Apr 27, 2017
"An essential listen for federal employees, military personnel, and those who care about them in the age of Trump...[Benjamin and Christopher] clearly break down something everybody talks about, but no one really understands."
- The BZCast listener, via e-mail
Leaking. Long a part of the American political conversation, leaking is a hotter topic than ever as President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and other Government leaders pledge investigations and crackdowns on those they call leakers. Others call them whistleblowers, and argue for legal protections, and there are plenty of shades of gray in-between.
- What is a federal employee or military servicemember to believe when it comes to the legality (or morality?) of leaking information?
- Is leaking ever legal? Justified? Required?
- What's the difference between leaking, whistleblowing, and plain old "reporting up the proper channels" anyway?
- How can current and former Federal employees, including military personnel, understand the nuances involved and protect themselves legally?
Host Benjamin Bryant speaks with Christopher Nuneviller, Esq., both a military veteran and a veteran government lawyer. Listen as they discuss leaking and whistleblowing, how those differ from internal reporting of concerns within established channels, and what federal employees and military members, especially, need to know about all three in the current political environment, as well as views of the topic historically, including the Obama administration, and recent relevant cases, such as those of Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning and the exposure of the Abu Ghraib scandal.