Whistleblower of the Week

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, Jane speaks with Noel Engels. After spending over two decades working for the US government in intelligence, law enforcement, and military combat operations, Engels left his role as a Criminal Analyst at the Department of Homeland Security after filing a whistleblower complaint. Engels claims he was improperly removed from an investigation into human trafficking allegations against Utah County Attorney David O. Leavitt. He and Turner discuss the shocking details of that case and the retaliation he faced for speaking up. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this special episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with Billie Winner-Davis and Victoria Turner about the trauma experienced by family members of whistleblowers who face retaliation. Billie is the mother of Reality Winner, the intelligence community whistleblower imprisoned for leaking a NSA report on the Russian government’s attempts to interfere with the 2016 election. Victoria is the daughter of Whistleblower of the Week’s Jane Turner, who twice blew the whistle on misconduct at the FBI. Billie, Victoria and Jane discuss the ways that whistleblower retaliation extends to family members. They also speak about being inspired to advocate for whistleblowers. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with former intelligence contractor Reality Winner. Motivated to act on a belief that the American public was not getting the full truth. Winner leaked a top-secret NSA report on the Russian government’s attempts to hack a Florida-based voting software supplier ahead of the 2016 election to the news media. Winner and Turner discuss her background, motivations, and how the Espionage Act should be modified to give it more nuance. They also talk about the harsh sentence handed down by the court and the impact her choices made on her life today. Winner encourages would-be whistleblowers to use legal reporting channels. Winner was the first person to be prosecuted, and later sentenced, under the Trump administration for defying the Espionage Act. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with Aris Danikas, a whistleblower and the founder and CEO of Liberty of Speech. Turner and Danikas discuss his journey from whistleblower, he blew the whistle on human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings by police in South Africa, to whistleblower advocate. They also speak about the upcoming conference Global Corruption And Public Integrity - The Human Factor which features panel discussions on international whistleblowing protection policies with a specific focus on the human toll whistleblower retaliation has on whistleblowers and their families. For more information on the conference (including how to register) visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-corruption-and-public-integrity-the-human- factor-tickets-884026706677?aff=oddtdtcreator Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with Johannah Phenya, the owner of a South African IT company who alongside her husband blew the whistle on alleged corruption and fraud in the awarding of government contracts. Following their whistleblowing, Johannah’s husband, Marumo Phenya, was assassinated. Johannah was honored for her bravery by Blueprint for Free Speech in their 2023 Whistleblowing Awards. She and Turner discuss her whistleblowing journey, her commitment to ensuring her husband’s death was not in vain, and the immense dangers faced by whistleblowers in South Africa. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this special episode of of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn, founding partner of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and Chairman of the Board of National Whistleblower Center, about the Department of Justice’s ongoing development of a new whistleblower award program. “We are on the verge of a major whistleblower development, one of the most important over the last twenty years,” explains Kohn. “The Justice Department plays a critical role in all of the major anti-corruption and fraud cases. So if we can help the Justice Department understand how they have to build this new program, it will be an incredible step forward.” Kohn and Turner discuss the background of the program and its potential to revolutionize the DOJ’s handling of whistleblower cases and its ability to fight fraud and corruption. Kohn also outlines the key elements which the DOJ must implement for the program to be successful. Kohn urges whistleblower supporters to join National Whistleblower Center in calling on the DOJ to follow proven best practices in the establishment of its new whistleblower award program. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with Mzukisi Makatse, who blew the whistle on a corrupt grant awarded by the South African Lottery Commission. Makatse was honored for his bravery by Blueprint for Free Speech in their 2023 Whistleblowing Awards. He and Jane discuss his whistleblowing journey, including the immense retaliation he faced, as well as the state of whistleblowing in South Africa. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, Jane speaks with María de los Ángeles Estrada, a lawyer in Mexico specializing in transparency and anti-corruption. She serves as the Executive Director of the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Initiative of the School of Government and Public Transformation of the Tec de Monterrey, one of the most important and renowned universities in Latin America. Turner and Ángeles Estrada discuss her legal and advocacy career as well as the importance of whistleblowers in anti-corruption efforts in Mexico and around the world. They also speak about Tec de Monterrey’s work alongside the National Whistleblower Center to educate individuals in Mexico about the transnational reach of U.S. whistleblower laws. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner speaks with leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn, founding partner of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and Chairman of the Board of National Whistleblower Center, about the recent landmark ruling in the Supreme Court whistleblower case Murray v. UBS Securities. Kohn gives historical perspective on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and explains the law. A major aspect of SOX was that it changed the burden of proof so that whistleblowers only need to prove that their whistleblowing was a “contributing factor” to a decision to fire them. In Murray v. UBS Securities, LLC, et al. 601 U. S. ____ (2024), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had held that whistleblowers must not prove that the employer acted with “retaliatory intent.” This was the issue before the Supreme Court in Murray. Kohn explains the statute and how the Court applied it in Murray. He then goes on to discuss the impact of the Court’s ruling on whistleblower law. “This precedent not only covers Wall-Street but covers whistleblower laws across the board.” “I believe, based on the Supreme Court decision and the jury verdict, Trevor Murray will ultimately fully prevail, and this will be a historic victory for every single corporate whistleblower, federal employee and other sectors of the economy,” Kohn says. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner talks to Nikhil Dey, the co-founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), a workers and peasant empowerment organization based in Rajasthan, India. MKSS has led transparency and anti-corruption movements across India, including for the Right to Information, minimum wage, protection for gig workers, and more. MKSS pioneered the practice of public audits, in which local officials report to communities how and where they spend the resources, giving citizens the chance to hold officials accountable. Dey has been recognized for his grassroots activism, most recently being named one of 11 worldwide Anti-Corruption Champions by the U.S. Department of State. In this episode, Turner and Dey discuss the nexus between whistleblowing and anti-corruption efforts. They also talk about the general state of whistleblower protections in India Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, host Jane Turner talks to Dr. Jeremiah P. Johnson, founder and director of the Lamplighter Project. Dr. Johnson recognized a need to support law enforcement whistleblowers who reported criminal misconduct in 2016 from experience in his own police department. Jeremiah has served in various sworn and civilian roles across the criminal justice system, including policing, sentencing, and corrections. He began his law enforcement career in 2002 as a patrol officer for a Connecticut municipality, progressing to operational, administrative, and investigative roles. In 2021, Jeremiah was appointed to serve on the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. He currently works as an executive for an extensive city jail system. Jeremiah has a decade of teaching experience, delivering undergraduate and graduate courses at several institutions of higher learning. He holds a BA in Sociology from Geneva College, an MS in Justice Administration from Western Connecticut State University, an MA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College, and a PhD in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center. Listen to their discussion about his experience in law enforcement and reporting internal criminal misconduct, the culture of reporting, and how his organization is working to support individuals and change the industry for the better Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week, Jane speaks with online disinformation specialist Dr. Joan Donovan, the former Technology and Social Change Research Project Director at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center. Dr. Donovan blew the whistle on alleged improper donor influence at the Kennedy School. She claims Harvard officials took cues and acted on behalf of Meta’s interest while questioning her research methodologies, specifically regarding Facebook. In this week’s podcast, Joan tells Turner, “I wasn’t going to just sit there and let this happen around me. I wasn’t going to say, ‘If you don’t want me to research Facebook, I’ll just turn my eye onto something else,’ and I probably could have, and the heat probably would have died down. But, because I kept the pan hot, I got thrown into it.” Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner speaks with Ottawa police whistleblower Constable Kimberly Cadarette, who faced retaliation for reporting sexual harassment within the Ottawa Police Department. Turner and Cadarette discuss their shared experience as female law enforcement whistleblowers and the sinister way “Fitness for Duty” exams were leveraged against them in retaliation for whistleblowing. Cadarette’s story of retaliation, including a psychologist who claimed to have not been present for her Fitness for Duty exam, is a must hear. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year from the Whistleblower of the Week Team! In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner speaks with South African whistleblower Patrick Maduna and whistleblower advocate John Clarke. Turner, Maduna and Clarke discuss Patrick’s whistleblowing: he blew the whistle on alleged financial mismanagement and fraud at his former employer Lociware, alleging that the company is a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) front for dubious business dealings. They also touch on the life-threatening dangers Maduna and his family have faced since he blew the whistle as well as the advocacy work Clarke is doing to help South African whistleblowers like Maduna. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner speaks with law enforcement whistleblower Austin Handle, a former police officer in Georgia and the Vice-Chair of the Board of the Lamplighter Project. Handle provides updates on his whistleblower retaliation case since Turner profiled him for Whistleblower of the Week back in 2020. Handle and Turner also discuss the establishment of the Lamplighter Project, which provides support to law enforcement whistleblowers. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

This week, WOW Host Jane Turner speaks with Ted Blickwedel. Blickwedel is a Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and combat veteran who became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after retiring. He blew the whistle on the VA’s productivity policies that put pressure on counselors who treat combat veterans. Blickwedel asserted the VA’s policies were harmful to counselors and compromised the quality of care for veterans. He describes his whistleblower journey and a blueprint for fellow whistleblowers to use from his lessons learned, which is featured in his book Broken Promises: Marine Combat Veteran Turns Whistleblower Exposing Compromised Mental Health Care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner continues her conversation with Ashley Gjøvik. A former senior engineering program manager at Apple, Gjøvik was fired from the tech giant after raising a series of concerns including environmental concerns, violations of employee privacy, harassment, and retaliation. In this second part of a two-part podcast, Gjøvik and Turner discuss the ideals of whistleblowing as well as a deeply researched piece on whistleblowing she wrote for Covert Action Magazine. If you missed it, check out part 1 of this conversation! Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this special episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner records from Washington D.C., where she is in town to celebrate National Whistleblower Day on Capitol Hill. Turner is joined by Whistleblower of the Week producer Victoria Thompson to discuss the Revolutionary War origins of National Whistleblower Day, the past decade of Senate National Whistleblower Day resolutions, and inspiring whistleblower stories. “National Whistleblower Day is a time that allows whistleblowers and advocates to get together and share their journeys and experiences, learn new facts, and set the agenda for the future,” Jane explains. Support the National Whistleblower Center Join the Campaign to Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent Read Rules for Whistleblowers to learn the complete history behind National Whistleblower Day Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Ashley Gjøvik. A former senior engineering program manager at Apple, Gjøvik was fired from the tech giant after raising a series of concerns including environmental concerns, violations of employee privacy, harassment, and retaliation. In this first part of two-part podcast, Gjøvik recounts the story of how she blew the whistle on Apple’s mishandling of an office complex built on a Superfund site. Gjøvik discusses how her initial whistleblowing led to a long series of retaliation and harassment. Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Allison Herren Lee, former Commissioner of the SEC who now serves as Of Counsel for the whistleblower defense law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto. Turner and Lee discuss Lee’s experience working with whistleblowers at the SEC and how she saw their bravery firsthand. Lee also explains why after leaving the Commission she felt compelled to join a whistleblower defense firm. “I saw firsthand what it meant in a case to have a whistleblower who was willing to help, who was willing to come forward, who was willing to point out corruption, legal violations, any number of issues,” Lee states. “And I also saw the price they paid. So my view was quite firmly: these are partners in law enforcement and we should do everything we can to protect them.” Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!