WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a confirmation hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) urged a top nominee to support accountability in the Intelligence Community by protecting whistleblowers. During his questioning, King stressed the historic importance of America’s whistleblower protections at otherwise secret agencies, and asked Terrence Edwards – nominee to be Inspector General at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) – if he would protect these long-standing, uncommon laws. Edwards agreed with Senator King, and pledged to “absolutely” protect the critical form of government oversight.
“Part of the [Inspector General’s] responsibility is the oversight and management of the whistleblower process. It's interesting, I learned some time ago the first whistleblower law in the US preceded the Constitution. It was in 1788 the Continental Congress passed the first whistleblower law. And it is again, it's sort of anomalous for the government to pay people to differ with its own activity,” said Senator King. “So can you commit to this committee that you will have a fair, open and reasonable process for dealing with whistleblowers and not in any way try to suppress information that might come forward?”
“Yes, I will absolutely commit to that,” replied Mr. Edwards. “Whistleblowers are essential to...
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