Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

You Are Here: Home » Government Documents

Category Archives: Government Documents

Know Your Rights: Whistleblower Protections for Federal Sector Employees

by on

POGO – Know Your Rights: Whistleblower Protections for Federal Sector Employees.

“The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) has put together this web resource to help federal sector employees learn more about their whistleblower rights. The information here is just a starting point and is not legal advice. The legal information POGO provides closely follows the statutory language where it exists. Agencies and courts may interpret the law differently and more narrowly than one might assume. For legal advice specific to one’s circumstances, seek the services of a qualified and experienced attorney. Blowing the whistle is risky business. There is a patchwork of legal protections for federal sector employees who blow the whistle. The relevant law depends on where you work in the federal government, and whether you are a government employee, uniformed member of the armed services, or contractor. Knowing what law one falls under matters since the protections vary from law to law from what types of disclosures are protected to where one can legally disclose problems. This web resource is focused on whistleblower protections for federal sector employees who have made or are considering making disclosures related to their workplace. But there are other legal protections that may be more relevant to a federal sector employee’s question about their free speech rights. For instance, the Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment generally protects government and contractor employees from job loss for speech in their capacity as private citizens on matters of public concern. But there are limitations, including an exception for speech made pursuant to official job duties. Again, seek the services of a qualified and experienced attorney for legal advice….”

DOJ, 18F Report on “Discovery Phase” of National FOIA Portal

by on

“Today, OIP is pleased to announce the results of its collaboration with GSA’s 18F team on the discovery phase of development of a National FOIA Portal.  As we enter development, we want to again solicit both public and agency participation in providing feedback on our work. The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 directed the Office… Continue Reading

Secure EDGAR data breach exploited for possible insider trading

by on

Statement on Cybersecurity Chairman Jay Clayton, Sept. 20, 2017 “…Notwithstanding our efforts to protect our systems and manage cybersecurity risk, in certain cases cyber threat actors have managed to access or misuse our systems.  In August 2017, the Commission learned that an incident previously detected in 2016 may have provided the basis for illicit gain… Continue Reading

Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft

by on

US Cert Security update: Preventing and Responding to Identity Theft “You can be a victim of identity theft even if you never use a computer. Malicious people may be able to obtain personal information (such as credit card numbers, phone numbers, account numbers, and addresses) by stealing your wallet, overhearing a phone conversation, rummaging through… Continue Reading

LC – An App to Answer Your Questions about the Constitution

by on

Margaret M. Wood, legal reference librarian in the Law Library. “Two years ago, in honor of Constitution Day—celebrated annually on September 17—I wrote a post about the publication “Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation,” also referred to as the “Constitution Annotated.” Along with the U.S. Code, it is one of my favorite work… Continue Reading

CBO’s Projections of Federal Receipts and Expenditures in the National Income and Product Accounts

by on

“The fiscal transactions of the federal government are recorded in two major sets of accounts that are conceptually quite different. One set is The Budget of the United States Government, prepared by the Office of Management and Budget. The budget is the framework generally used by executive branch agencies and the Congress and is the… Continue Reading

CBO – An Analysis of Corporate Inversions

by on

An Analysis of Corporate Inversions, CBO, September 18, 2017 “U.S. multinational corporations—businesses incorporated and operating in the United States that also maintain operations in other countries—can use a variety of strategies to change how and where their income is taxed. One such strategy is a corporate inversion, which can result in a significant reduction in worldwide… Continue Reading

CRS – Domestic Terrorism: An Overview

by on

Domestic Terrorism: An Overview, Jerome P. Bjelopera, Specialist in Organized Crime and Terrorism. August 21, 2017. “The emphasis of counterterrorism policy in the United States since Al Qaeda’s attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11) has been on jihadist terrorism. However, in the last decade, domestic terrorists—people who commit crimes within the homeland and draw inspiration… Continue Reading

Wharton – After Equifax, Can Our Data Ever Be Safe?

by on

Follow up to previous posting – Equifax is one of many companies that collect information about you – via [email protected] – “In the annals of data breaches, the Equifax hacking stands alone due to its sheer scale: Digital thieves traipsed through the personal information of 143 million Americans for several months to do with it… Continue Reading

USDA – Household Food Security in the United States in 2016

by on

Household Food Security in the United States in 2016 – “An estimated 87.7 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2016, meaning they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (12.3 percent) were food insecure at least… Continue Reading

Congressional Consideration of Resolutions to “Censure” Executive Branch Officials

by on

CRS INSIGHT Congressional Consideration of Resolutions to “Censure” Executive Branch Officials, September 14, 2017 (IN10774): “Over the history of the federal Congress, Members have proposed resolutions to formally express the House or Senate’s censure, disapproval, loss of confidence, or condemnation of the President or other executive branch official or their actions. This Insight summarizes the… Continue Reading

Statistics for More Than 40 Demographic and Economic Topics Provide Detailed Profiles of Communities Nationwide

by on

“The U.S. Census Bureau today released its most detailed look at America’s people, places and economy with new statistics on income, poverty, health insurance and more than 40 other topics from the American Community Survey. Many states saw an increase in income and a decrease in poverty rates between 2015 and 2016. During that same… Continue Reading