When hearing the term “whistleblower,” some of the names that may automatically come to mind include famous whistleblowers that have been covered in the news: Edward Snowden, the controversial whistleblower who leaked documents regarding National Security Agency surveillance programs; to “Deep Throat” of Watergate, the FBI whistleblower who would later be named as Mark Felt; and even Frances Haugen, the recent Facebook whistleblower.
These whistleblower cases may have been highly publicized across news stations, but they are some of the many whistleblowers across a number of different industries who help uncover fraud and corruption and in turn, help make America a more equitable place.
A whistleblower is a private individual who comes forward with evidence regarding fraud, corruption, waste, or abuse and reports it to law enforcement or the appropriate government agency. Whistleblowers help expose illegal or unethical behavior by providing inside information that otherwise would not have become known to the public.
Whistleblowers are also known as qui tam relators and are usually employees, former employees, contractors, freelancers, or other individuals with non-public information regarding crimes, unethical behavior, corruption, or fraud against the government. Common examples of whistleblowers include a healthcare worker that witnesses medical billing fraud or a defense contractor employee noticing inferior products being...
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