Recent polling demonstrates the American public’s strong support for increased whistleblower protections. A survey of likely voters in Ohio and Michigan conducted by Lake Research Partners found that over 80% of Republican voters view stronger whistleblower protections as an effective means to fight government corruption. These findings echo those of a Marist poll on whistleblowing commissioned by WNN in 2020 which found overwhelming bipartisan support for stronger whistleblower protections among likely voters.
The Lake Research Partners poll was commissioned by Project on Government Oversight (POGO). The poll found that a majority of likely voters in Ohio and Michigan are “very concerned” about corruption in the U.S. government, including bribery, embezzlement, kickbacks, and extortion.
Among reforms to fight corruption, the poll found widespread support for increased whistleblower protections for individuals who report corruption. 85% of Ohio Republicans and 82% of Michigan Republicans surveyed stated that increased whistleblower protections would be an effective means to fight government corruption. Notably, only two Republican representatives voted in favor of the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act, which expands whistleblower protections for federal employees, when it passed the House in September.
“It’s clear that voters are looking to their representatives to enact meaningful reforms that reduce and prevent corruption in the federal government,” writes POGO’s...
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