Intelligence Community Whistleblower Provisions: A Legislative History (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised March 29, 2024 |
| Report Number |
R45345 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
DeVine, Michael E. |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
Whistleblowing is “the act of reporting waste, fraud, abuse and corruption in a lawful
manner to those who can correct the wrongdoing.” Intelligence Community (IC)
whistleblowers are those employees or contractors working in any of the 17 elements of
the IC who reasonably believe there has been a violation of law, rule, or regulation,
gross mismanagement, waste of resources, abuse of authority, or a substantial danger to
public health and safety. The essential distinction between whistleblowers generally and those in the IC (or those
who otherwise have security clearances) is the concern for protecting classified information that may be involved
in an IC-related incident or complaint. The IC has recognized that whistleblowing can save taxpayers’ dollars,
ensure an ethical and safe working environment, and enable timely responses for corrective action.
Whistleblowing protections for employees and contractors in the IC are extended only to those who make a lawful
disclosure. They do not cover disclosures that do not conform to statutes and directives prescribing reporting
procedures intended to protect classified information, such as leaking to the media or a foreign government. IC
whistleblowing does not include a difference of opinion over policy, strategy, analysis, or priorities for
intelligence funding or collection unless there is a reasonable concern over legality or constitutionality.
Whistleblowing protections also do not protect against legitimate adverse personnel or security clearance
eligibility decisions if the agency can demonstrate that it would have taken the same action in the absence of a
protected disclosure.
Congress and the executive branch have defined in statute and directives procedures for IC whistleblowers to
make protected disclosures that also provide for the security of classified information. The Director of National
Intelligence (DNI) whistleblowing policy and guidance is publicly available and specifically addresses
whistleblower process and protections for IC contractors, members of the Armed Forces, and federal employees.
There are differing opinions, however, on whether the IC’s internal processes have the transparency necessary to
ensure adequate protections against reprisal, and whether protections for IC contractors are sufficient.
IC whistleblower protections have evolved in response to perceptions of gaps that many believed left
whistleblowers vulnerable to reprisal. The first whistleblower legislation specific to the IC was the Intelligence
Community Whistleblower Protection Act (ICWPA) of 1998. It was limited to specifying a process for an IC
whistleblower to make a complaint but offered no specific protections. The Intelligence Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2010 included provisions for protecting IC whistleblowers, though these were general and subject to
different standards of implementation. Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-19, signed in 2012, provided the first
specific protections in response to perceptions that IC whistleblowers remained vulnerable to reprisal actions for
making a complaint. The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 codified PPD-19 provisions, and
Intelligence Community Directive (ICD)-120 provided PPD-19 implementation policy. For members of the
Armed Forces assigned to elements of the IC, Title 10 U.S. Code Section 1034 provides whistleblower
protections. Department of Defense (DOD) implementing guidance for Section 1034 can be found in DOD
Directive 7050.06, Military Whistleblower Protection.
