Reporting: Aerospace / Defense

Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General Whistleblower Guidelines: The DOD Inspector General Directorate for Military Reprisal Investigations has the primary authority and responsibility to conduct investigations concerning allegations of reprisal against military members, non-appropriated fund employees and Defense contractor employees.

Consult with an employment attorney if you begin to experience retaliation for FCA-related protected activity in the workplace.

Defense and aerospace contractor fraud are one of the most active areas of false claims litigation under the False Claims Act (FCA). The US spends billions of dollars per year for national defense and aerospace programs, with a large portion of the spending going towards procurement of equipment, supplies, systems, facilities, logistics, and technology, as well as maintenance, service, and upgrades to existing facilities, equipment, and systems.

Protected Communication:

A protected communication is any lawful communication to a Member of Congress or an Inspector General, as well as any communication made to a person or organization designated under competent regulations to receive such communications, which a member of the Armed Forces reasonably believes reports a violation of law or regulation (including sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial or specific danger to public health or safety).

DoD Directive 7050.6 prohibits:

Restricting a military member from making a protected communication to a Member of Congress; an Inspector General (IG) of a DoD Component; a member of a DoD audit, inspection, investigation or law enforcement organization; or any other person or organization (including any person or organization in the chain of command) designated under component regulations or other established administrative procedures to receive such communications; and, Taking (or threatening to take) an unfavorable personnel action or withholding (or threatening to withhold) a favorable personnel action as reprisal for making or preparing a protected communication to a Member of Congress; an IG of a DoD component; a member of a DoD audit, inspection, investigation or law enforcement organization; Substantiated reprisal by civilian employees is punishable under DoD regulations governing disciplinary or adverse actions.