Court backs TSA whistleblower fired by George Bush

Fired air marshal Robert MacLean

Fired For Telling The Truth

• The Supreme Court finds in favor of the whisleblower who was fired by George Bush for telling the American people the truth.

The U.S. Supreme Court, by a 7-to-2 vote, ruled in favor of a fired air marshal on Wednesday. In a decision of great interest to federal employees and air travelers, the court said that the air marshal's alert about safety concerns was shielded by the federal whistleblower protection law.

In July 2003, the Department of Homeland Security issued a confidential advisory warning that members of al-Qaida were planning to hijack a long-distance flight. Air marshals across the country were called in for secret briefings about the details of the plot. Forty-eight hours later, however, they were informed that missions on overnight, long-distance flights were being canceled. Air marshal Robert J. MacLean at first thought the cancellation message was a joke or a test of some sort reports NPR.

The love of raw power knows
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"Everybody said, 'This doesn't make any sense,' " recalls MacLean. "We just had this emergency briefing that we're under attack. Yet two days later we get this message that all flights that are going to be 3 1/2 hours or longer weren't going to be covered."

MacLean called his supervisor, who told him the assignments to long-distance flights were canceled because the agency didn't want to pay for hotels, overtime and travel allowances — and that there was nothing to be done about it. MacLean then called the inspector general's hotline; he says he was told that this is what agencies do when they are running out of money.

Fearing for the public's safety, MacLean blew the whistle. He leaked the story to a reporter. Congress went ballistic, and within 24 hours, the cost-saving measure was canceled. MacLean was not named in the reporter's story, but three years later the agency discovered his role and he was fired. He challenged his dismissal as illegal retaliation under the Whistleblower Protection Act.

That law protects an employee who discloses information revealing, among other things, "a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety." The law has an important exception, however: An employee is not afforded whistleblower protection if the disclosure is "specifically prohibited by law."

MacLean tweeted that he was "very honored & grateful" that the court decided the case, and said "great people" from non-governmental organizations, the Office of Special Counsel, Congress and the courts "made it happen."

"Today is a great day for the United States," MacLean tweeted. "It's not perfect, but we have THE GREATEST justice system ever in history."

Neal Katyal, a former acting solicitor general who argued the case for MacLean, said the decision a victory for all Americans who depend on federal workers to warn of bureaucratic errors that endanger security.

"Today's decision ensures that the Whistle-Blower Protection Act will continue to stand as an important bulwark against government abuse," said Katyal, of Hogan Lovells.

(USA Today)

In 2001 the Big Government loving GOP Congress attacked our liberty. And the Sheeple "Conservative" voters bleated, "Master please take my freedom and protect me."