November 26, 2025
Mourning the Loss of Whistleblower Dr. Don Soeken
WASHINGTON—Today, Government Accountability Project and the whistleblowing community mourn the loss of Dr. Donald "Don" Soeken. We send our condolences to his friends and family, and those he has assisted and supported throughout his courageous life.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Soeken was a whistleblower client of Government Accountability Project. As an officer within the Public Health Service, he conducted fair and honest fitness for duty exams, which were psychiatric exams for federal employees if the employee was having "problems" according to their supervisors. In reality, the employees were most likely having "personality clashes," and these exams were used to pressure targeted employees to resign and to harass whistleblowers, particularly at the Departments of State and Defense. Dr. Soeken testified in front of the House of Representative about the abuse of these compulsory exams. The resulting national attention to his concerns led to the dismantling and abandonment of this traumatic and invasive practice.
After blowing the whistle, he continued to give back. Dr. Soeken headed an organization to provide psychological support for whistleblowers and had a free retreat in West Virginia to house whistleblowers who were down on their luck after speaking out. He frequently counseled whistleblowers and provided expert testimony at hearings and in court on their behalf. Even 40 years after his own...
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