Society is based on trust. We trust that our leaders will do what is best for us and that they will act with integrity and honesty in all their dealings. When a leader breaks this trust by engaging in corrupt behavior, it can devastate the community. This is why whistleblowers are so important. They help expose wrongdoing by political leaders, and in doing so, they help preserve the integrity of our society.

One of humanity’s most pressing historical and current problems, regardless of time and place, is political corruption. The abuse of power by those entrusted to lead has and is one of humanity’s greatest curses. In an age where, since the start of the 21st century, nations worldwide have been slipping increasingly away from democratic and free forms of governance and into oligarchic autocracies, whistleblowers are needed more than ever to expose the abuse of political power and processes. 

Unfortunately, whistleblowers who expose political corruption are often targeted in acts of retaliation. The United States has a few options for recourse for those whistleblowers who have specific kinds of information about political corruption. If the political official stole US government money–American taxpayer money–then a whistleblower could be eligible to initiate a False Claims Act (‘FCA’) action if their information is strong, involves large sums of money, they have strong evidence, and the FCA’s other requirements are met. Filing under the FCA also provides the whistleblower with remedies if retaliated against. 

Whistleblowers with knowledge of political corruption might also be eligible to file under one of the US’s agency whistleblower programs, such as with the SEC, CFTC or IRS, if their information invovles big violations of US financial or tax laws. 

WHISTLEBLOWING ON POLITICAL LEADERS

Whistleblowers everywhere and anywhere can help shed light on political leaders who abuse their powers by silencing opposition, taking bribes, stealing from the public, rigging elections, and doing anything else illegal or unbecoming of a political leader. By exposing wrongs to the public, whistleblowers help put pressure on corrupt political leaders to resign or change their ways. The public does not like seeing their leaders doing corrupt deeds. The more exposed corruption, the more the public will be motivated and enraged enough to demand accountability and change. 

While the risks associated with whistleblowing are high, the rewards can be significant if the whistleblower possesses information about a political leader stealing taxpayer money or accepting bribes in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by a U.S.-based or connected company. Whistleblowers who expose corruption often receive public recognition and acclaim, along with financial compensation. In some cases, they may even help bring about much-needed political change in their countries. 

EXAMPLES OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION WHISTLEBLOWERS 

Daniel Ellsberg is one example of a whistleblower who exposed political wrongdoing, in this case exposing mass lying to the American public by the U.S. government. Ellsberg is best known for leaking the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times in 1971 – a series of top-secret documents showing that the U.S. government had been lying to the public about its involvement in Vietnam. Ellsberg felt that Americans had a right to know what their government was doing and thought it was his duty to leak the papers. He was later arrested and charged with treason, but the case against him was dismissed. 

In certain circumstances, a whistleblower who exposes political corruption can qualify for a monetary reward. A whistleblower might have information about a political official engaging in money laundering. The whistleblower can, with the assistance of an experienced whistleblower attorney, report that information to FinCEN. If this reporting leads to a successful monetary recovery, the whistleblower might be eligible for a share of the recovery. 

A whistleblower might have information about a public official colluding with government contractors to violate the False Claims Act, which could lead the whistleblower to file a Qui Tam complaint that leads to a recovery of lost monies on behalf of the government. The whistleblower will, in this circumstance, likely receive a reward for their information and for filing a successful Qui Tam action. Under these and a few other cases, a whistleblower exposing political corruption can be rewarded financially if the government ultimately collects money based on the whistleblower’s legal action.