This year’s team saved lives and contributed billions to our national treasury. We honor their courage, dignity and willingness to stand for justice.
1. Franz Gayl
A consensus pick. While not big on saving money, he made up for it by saving the lives and limbs of our Marines in combat. For that he is the Whistleblower of the Year and earns our number one spot. Mr. Gayl spotted unreasonable delays in the shipping of armored vehicles to protect soldiers on the ground in Iraq. Thanks to Gayl, our soldiers can now expect to receive supplies – notably protective armor – in a more timely manner.
2. Cheryl Eckard
Her courage unfortunately has been clouded by her award, $96 million for providing information about Glaxo-SmithKline’s deficient drug production standards. But she likely saved lives. Ms. Eckard lost her job and risked disdain from her colleagues all for the sake of what she knew was right.
3. Michael Winston
He wouldn’t just go with the flow. To keep his job all he had to do was “hold his nose” and say Countrywide’s corporate governance practices were appropriate. Nope. Enough was enough. Winston had already expressed concern over the corporate culture at BoA (perhaps accurately portrayed by this sign from our friends at Occupy DC) and its prioritization of profits over quality portfolios for customers. Winston was fired following his refusal to lie. His story is a classic David vs. Goliath tale – a lesson to Bank of America and an incentive for future potential whistleblowers to step forward.
4. Bunny Greenhouse
Bunny Greenhouse was awarded $970,000 in restitution, lost wages, compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees by the US District Court for the District of Columbia in July of this year. Ms. Greenhouse had suffered poor performance reviews and demotion in retaliation for her speaking up about contract abuse during the Iraq War. Specifically, Ms. Greenhouse pointed out abusive, secret, no-bid contracts awarded to Halliburton subsidiaries. For her courage to speak up and tenacity in defending herself against unlawful retaliation, we commend Ms. Greenhouse’s service as a whistleblower. Though this ordeal began nearly a decade ago, we are happy that 2011 brought Ms. Greenhouse some closure and relief.
5. Harry Markopolos and Friends
This guy is everywhere. He is an independent wicked smart analyst. Mr. Markopolos was well known before 2011 for attempting – in vain – to warn the SEC of Bernie Madoff’s massive fraud. Recently, in August 2011, two whistleblower suits were filed in California and Virginia accusing State Street and Bank of New York Mellon of defrauding pension funds by charging higher fees than they should have. Read our original blog on the story here. It has since become clear that Markopolos spearheaded the investigation, which has also resulted in at least two actions by the Attorneys General of Virginia and New York against the banks. Our hats are off to Mr. Markopolos for his diligent and tenacious work on behalf of the American public. He is surely a future hall of famer.
Think we left someone out? Are others more deserving? Comments on our "selections" are welcomed.
Assisted by Zachary A. Kady