In a report whose findings could apply as well at other agencies, the GAO has said that even those whistleblowing VA employees who ultimately settled their retaliation complaints report difficulties such as “the cost of or inability to secure legal representation, health issues experienced, forced relocation, and retaliation during the settlement process.”
“One whistleblower we interviewed told us that they felt beaten down and helpless throughout the process and now ‘just want to be left alone to rot in the corner,’” GAO said after surveying 21 such employees as part of a wider report on the outcomes of whistleblower cases.
It said that while the Office of Special Counsel and the VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection “have contradictory data about settled cases” the VA’s data shows 71 settlements over 2019-2023 in retaliation complaints. Those agreements called for actions such as reassigning the whistleblower and making cash payments, in one case of more than $500,000.
GAO found that 16 of the 21 had received some training about the settlement process, but 12 of them said it was difficult to understand, nine found it not useful and the other seven found it only moderately useful. “Several whistleblowers told us that because of the complexity of the process, one should have an attorney to represent them. Specifically, nine whistleblowers commented on the need for an attorney during the settlement process,” it said.
Nine of them said they had waited...
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