Despite a stated Whistleblower Protection policy at the Department of the Interior, employees live in a 'culture of fear':

For Immediate Release: Monday, August 2, 2004
Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337

CULTURE OF FEAR AT INTERIOR
Agency-wide Survey Shows Wide Expectation of Retaliation & Unfairness

Washington, DC  Workers within the U.S. Department of Interior live in a culture of fear where hatchet people mete out punishment based on office politics, according to an agency-wide survey and investigative report quietly posted by the agencys Office of Inspector General (OIG) late last week.

Survey results mirror reports from Interior staff received daily at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) from employees ranging from rank and file staff to park superintendents and other top managers who feel that they cannot disclose problems without facing retribution.

OIG sent its survey sent out to more than 25,000 employees, including supervisors, human resource managers and lawyers in agencies such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Fish & Wildlife Service. Nearly 40% of those who received surveys responded, with key results including

More than one quarter of staff fear retaliation for reporting problems;
A solid majority do not see the disciplinary system as being fairly administered on a consistent basis; and
Nearly half believe that discipline is taken on the basis of whom the person knows rather than what they did.
The Department of Interior is engaged in several high-profile cases of discipline against employees who have spoken out about problems, such as U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers. Yet in his transmittal letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Inspector General Earl Devaney states without explanation many, if not most, of our findings in this report pre-dated your tenure as Secretary. Devaney reports directly to Secretary Norton. Devaney recommends that steps be taken to reduce the fear of reprisal and to improve the consistency of disciplinary actions taken.

The culture of fear in Interior starts at the top, stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch whose organizations attorneys will be questioning Secretary Norton and other top Interior officials under oath later this month in the Chambers case. The Inspector General only goes halfway with his report by finding a culture of fear but refusing to name who the employees fear.

Whistleblower Protection Program

Part of the Office of Inspector Generals (OIG) core mission is to investigate wrongdoing exposed by Department of the Interior (DOI) employees. The OIG Whistleblower Protection Program was established to ensure that employees who disclose allegations of serious wrongdoing or gross mismanagement are free from fear of reprisal for their disclosures.

If the OIG, through the efforts of the Associate Inspector General for Whistleblower Protection, discerns that an employee who provided information to DOI management or the OIG is vulnerable to reprisal, the Inspector General may respond in one of several ways:

Conduct an informal or formal inquiry to determine if reprisal is taking place.
If reprisal is occurring or threatened, advise the appropriate Assistant Secretary or Bureau Director to intervene.
If the reprisal continues, assist the employee in seeking relief through the U.S. Office of Special Counsel or other appropriate authority.

Employee Rights and Responsibilities related to Disclosures of Alleged Wrongdoing

Employees who report allegations of serious wrongdoing or gross mismanagement must provide sufficient information for the OIG to commence an inquiry. This is particularly important when the employee wishes to remain confidential.
Employees are reporting parties, not investigators.
Protection of a disclosing-employees identity is not absolute, but will always be maintained to the fullest extent possible.
Employees must be candid and truthful with investigators or others to whom they disclose alleged wrongdoing or mismanagement.
An employees right to protection against reprisal does not extend immunity for the employees own involvement in wrongdoing or mismanagement.

Filing a Complaint of Reprisal with the OIG

If you believe you are being retaliated against for having disclosed alleged wrongdoing or mismanagement, you may file a complaint with the Associate Inspector General for Whistleblower Protection, Richard S. Trinidad, at (202) 208-4600 or email Richard_Trinidad@oig.doi.gov. You should be prepared to provide the following information:

Your name, home address or e-mail address, and telephone number. As a practical matter, protection cannot be extended to any employee who chooses to remain anonymous.
The specific facts that constitute the serious wrongdoing or gross mismanagement that you disclosed.
The name of the person(s) who have retaliated or have threatened to retaliate against you.
Any other information that would assist the OIG in assessing your complaint of reprisal.

The OIG is authorized to investigate allegations that relate to the programs and operations of the Department. The OIG does not have authority to investigate EEO matters.

Additional information about Whistleblower Protection may be found at the Office of Special Counsel website,

Page last updated: February 10, 2004

REPORTS
This database contains publicly released audit reports and reports of investigation from 1995 to the present. These reports are available free of charge in PDF and text formats.

Other reports are available by contacting:

Office of Inspector General
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C St. NW / MailStop 5341
Attn: FOIA
Washington, DC 20240
Telephone: (202) 208-4356
FAX: (202) 219-1944

Reports from other Inspectors General are available via IGNET

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Office of Investigations

See the full Interior survey results and read the Inspector General report on Conduct and Discipline

Top Management Challenges at the Department of the Interior

Independent Auditor's Report

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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is a national alliance of local, state and federal resource professionals, working to protect the environment.


PEER . 2001 S Street, NW . Suite 570 . Washington DC . 20009
Tel:(202) 265-7337 . Fax (202) 265-4192 . info@peer.org