Today, the independent Office of Special Counsel announced that it helped restore a scientist to his position at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after his agency sidelined him for speaking out on Zika testing effectiveness. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a leading advocate for whistleblowers, made the following comment on today’s announcement.
“It’s disappointing to see that the agency that’s supposed to be on the front lines of fighting Zika still finds time to investigate and sideline a top scientist in this area. From what we hear from the Obama Administration, you’d think it’s all hands on deck in the executive branch in fighting Zika. The reality in this case is different. Whistleblowers ought to be encouraged to come forward, especially with something as critical as a public health threat.”
-30-