On Wednesday, June 12, 2013, a member of Goodwin Weber PLLC, David P. Weber, was interviewed by Neil Cavuto, of Fox Business News, on prime time national television.  Weber was interviewed about federal whistleblower protections, and the revelations of Edward Snowden, concerning alleged misconduct by the National Security Agency, and the Obama Administration’s previously-undisclosed use of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (“FISC”) orders to obtain broad internet and cellular telephone data from the nation’s largest internet and data providers, including Verizon Wireless, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.

A link to the interview can be found here: http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/cavuto/index.html#http://video.foxnews.com/v/2475192017001/did-snowden-send-wrong-message-by-fleeing/?playlist_id=87065

Weber, himself a well-known whistleblower, is the former Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Prior to his service at the SEC, Weber served in progressively more senior enforcement positions at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury responsible for supervision of the nation’s banking system.  While at the OCC, Weber served as the subject matter expert concerning national security law, including National Security Letters and the Right to Financial Privacy Act, as amended.  At the SEC, Weber revealed a potential widespread cybersecurity compromise by suspected agents of a foreign power.    Unlike Snowden, Weber used the system to report this misconduct, first to Congress, and after illegal reprisal against Weber, by filing federal whistleblower protection lawsuits in U.S. District Court and the Merit Systems Protection Board.  As reported in many news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, AP, Reuters, and hundreds of smaller publications, Weber chose to stand and fight.  The U.S. government was ultimately ordered to reinstate Weber to his position of Assistant Inspector General, and pay Weber one of the largest financial non-economic damage awards in federal employee history.

Goodwin Weber PLLC practices law and forensic investigation in areas of federal whistleblowing and employee defense, false claims act, and national security law.  If you have a matter that requires legal assistance in blowing the whistle, doing the right thing, or responding to national security process from the FISC, NSA, FBI or other intelligence or law enforcement agency, contact Goodwin Weber PLLC for assistance.