Whistleblowers are ‘as American as apple pie’

It was 1777. The Revolutionary War was raging, and a small band of officers and seamen in the Continental Navy faced a dangerous dilemma.

Their commodore was one of the most powerful men in colonial America. But his subordinates had seen him engage in “barbarous” mistreatment — torture, in their eyes — of captured British sailors.

Eleven years before the U.S. Constitution was ratified, the 10 worried sailors became the new republic’s first whistleblowers, reporting what they had witnessed to the Continental Congress — and getting legal protection to shield them from retribution.

The lonely individual speaking truth to power is an enduring American archetype. Whistleblowing — when an “insider” in government or a private company or organization draws attention to illegal or unethical activity — is codified in law, enshrined in history, immortalized in Hollywood movies and popular culture. read more »

Federal government investigating bankrupt Wyoming coal mine operator for fraud

The unprecedented bankruptcy case involving coal operator Blackjewel showed signs of resolution last week when a federal judge approved the sale of two Wyoming coal mines to a new company called Eagle Specialty Materials. But a court document filed Saturday revealed the federal government has been investigating Blackjewel for potential fraud since before the company filed for bankruptcy, adding another possible wrinkle to a case that has rattled Wyoming’s coal country for over three months.

“The United States was investigating potential violations of the False Claims Act by Debtor, Blackjewel, LLC, and had issued a subpoena to Blackjewel in connection with that investigation,” Fred Westfall, a U.S. attorney stated in court documents.

The federal government asked the West Virginia federal bankruptcy court to delay discharging Blackjewel of its debts, a move that would allow the federal government to continue investigating possible violations of the False Claims Act. read more »

Boeing 737 Max: European regulators insist on more testing of troubled plane

European air safety regulators have told their US counterpart they wants more testing on fixes to the troubled 737 Max flight-control systems before the plane is cleared to re-enter service.

The EU’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) told the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) it was not satisfied with demonstrations of the reconfigured safety systems on the planes, which were involved in two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

Boeing had initially scheduled the plane to re-enter service at the end of August but disagreements over software details, centered on how the plane’s dual flight-control computers are now intended to start working together, have put that date back to at least the end of November. read more »

Did Ethiopian Airlines tamper with Boeing 737 Max maintenance records? Former chief engineer alleges airline accessed files a day after crash.

Ethiopian Airlines’ former chief engineer says in a whistleblower complaint filed with regulators that the carrier went into the maintenance records on a Boeing 737 Max jet a day after it crashed this year, a breach he contends was part of a pattern of corruption that included fabricating documents, signing off on shoddy repairs and even beating those who got out of line. read more »