Whistleblower Protection: DHS Should Ensure Timely Resolution of Retaliation Complaints

By U.S. Government Accountability Office; Christopher P. Currie

Federal whistleblowers are critical to fighting fraud, waste, and abuse in the government. However, they risk retaliation, such as demotion and firing.

We examined how the Department of Homeland Security handles whistleblower retaliation complaints. We found that DHS's timeliness is a problem that could undermine whistleblowers' confidence in their
protections.

DHS took more than 3 years to investigate the majority of retaliation cases. When cases are substantiated, the Secretary of DHS should decide whether and how to address them within 30 days. But cases. awaited decisions for another 4 months to over 2 years.