ACORN 8

Monday, July 28, 2014

The Stewart E. Mott House

122 Maryland Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20002

9:00-10:00 AM

Set Up, Registration & Check-In

10:00-11:00 AM

Whistleblower Summit Opening Plenary

• Marcel Reid, Pacifica Whistleblower Liaison
• Michael McCray, ACORN 8
• Zena Crenshaw-Logal, Executive Director, National Judicial Conduct & Disability Law Project
• Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project (GAP)
• Lawrence Lucas, President, USDA Coalition of Minority Employees
• Tanya Ward Jordan, Founder, Coalition for Change (C4C)

11:00-12:00 PM

"Razors Edge" New Developments in Federal Whistleblowing

• Jason Zuckerman, Partner Zuckerman Law Firm; Former Senior Counsel, for the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
• Dan Meyer, Executive Director of Intelligence Community Whistlebloweing and Source Protection; Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General.

12:00-1:00 PM        

Lunch Break 

1:00-2:00 PM

9/11 Financial Whistleblower Panel

• Gloria Minott, Public Affairs Director WPFW (Moderator)
• Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project
• William “Bill” Bergman, 9/11 Whistleblower, Truth in Accounting

2:00-3:00 PM

Whistleblowers Retaliation: Prosecutorial Abuse and Justice Department Misconduct

• Gloria Minott, Public Affairs Director WPFW (Moderator)
• Zena Crenshaw-Logal, Executive Director, National Judicial Conduct & Disability Law Project
• Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project (GAP)
• Danielle Brian, Executive Director, Project on Government Oversight (POGO)
• Michael McCray, FEW/LEW

3:00-4:00 PM

FOIA: Fighting Government Corruption Through Information and Transparency

• Gloria Minott, Public Affairs Director WPFW (Moderator)
• Aram Gavoor, Senior Counsel, Cause of Action
• Tanya Ward Jordan, Founder, Coalition for Change (C4C)
• Andrew Kreig, Executive Director, Justice Integrity Project

4:00-5:00 PM

Culture of Government Corruption: Surviving Hostile Working Environments

• Gloria Minott, Public Affairs Director WPFW (Moderator)
• David Grogen, U.S. Marshal Service, Justice Department
• Arthuretta Holms Martin, Coalition for Change
• Paulette Taylor, Civil Rights Chair, Coalition for Change

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Russell Senate Office Building

Two Constitution Avenue, N.E.

Room 485

Washington, DC 20002

10:00-11:00 AM

Whistleblowers & Journalists: Tapping The Power of Media

• Arlene Englehardt, Former Pacifica Executive Director (Moderator)
• Marcel Reid, Pacifica Whistleblower Liaison
• Sharyl Attkisson—Former CBS Investigative Reporter
• Andy Lee Roth, Director, Project Censored
• Micky Huff, Director, Project Censored
• Kristina Borjesson, Freelance Journalist (ABC, CBS, NBC)

11:30-12:30 AM

Domestic Surveillance and NSA Whistleblowing

• Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project (Moderator)
• Cathy Ball, Legislative Representative, National Treasury Employees Union
• Shahid Buttar, Executive Director, Bill of Rights Defense Committee
• Keith Wrightson, Worker Safety and Health Advocate, Public Citizen
  

1:00-2:00 PM

Lunch On Your Own

Busboys & Poets (14^th & V. Street)

2021 14^th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20009

3:00-5:00 PM

Whistleblower Book Signing

• Michael McCray, ACORN 8—Race, Power and Politics
• Marcel Reid, ACORN 8—Race, Power and Politics
• Zena Crenshaw-Logal, Exploring the Vitality of Stare Decisis in America
• Tom Devine, The Corporate Whistleblower’s Survival Guide
• Andy Lee Roth, Director, Project Censored 2014
• Micky Huff, Director, Project Censored 2014

5:30-7:00 PM

Documentary Film Screening

• Andy Lee Roth, Director, Project Censored 2014
• Micky Huff, Director, Project Censored 2014

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

9:30-10:30 AM

Cannon House Office Building

283 First Street, S.E.

Room 441

Washington, DC 20515

25^th Anniversary—Whistleblower Protection Act-WPEA the next frontier

• Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project (Moderator)
• Michael McCray, General Counsel, FEW/LEF
• Krista Boyd, Counsel, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
• Charity Wilson, Legislative Representative, American Federation of Government Employees
• Robert MacLean, U.S. Air Marshal Whistleblower

11:00-12:00 Noon

From Fringes to Criminal Referrals: The Changing Face of Whistleblower Retaliation

• Tom Devine, Legal Director, Government Accountability Project (Moderator)
• Tristan Leavitt, Investigative Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee
• Larry Criscione, NRC Whistleblower
• Amanda Hitt, Director, Food Integrity Campaign
• Pete Sepp, Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union
• Zena Crenshaw-Logal, Executive Director, National Judicial Conduct & Disability Law Project

The Stewart E. Mott House

122 Maryland Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20002

12:30-3:00 PM        

3:15-4:30 PM 

National Whistleblower Appreciation Day Award Luncheon

“Sponsored by the National Whistleblower Center”

Michael McCray and Zena Crenshaw-Logal gave the Welcome and Occasion.

Tony Norman, Vice Chair, Pacifica Foundation gives greetings and special remarks on behalf of the Pacifica Executive Director and Board of Directors supporting whistleblowers and the Whistleblower Summit for Civil and Human Rights.

Stephen Kohn, National Whistleblower Center gave the Keynote presentation on National Whistleblower Appreciation Day:  Its Origins and Impact on Today's Whistleblower Laws.

Zena Crenshaw-Logal, National Judicial Conduct and Disability Law Project, discussed the Drum Major’s For Truth (DM4T) contest and college scholarship to support/appreciate whistleblowers and introduced the High School Essay Winner.

Marcel Reid gave remarks and presented the Pillar Awards for community activism, journalism and corporate responsibility.

Andy Shallal, Mayoral Candidate (Community Activism)

 Joseph Nacchio—CEO Quest Media Former  (Corporate Responsibility)

 Project Censored—Andy Lee Roth and Mickey Huff (New Media)

 Sharyl Attkisson—Former CBS Investigative Reporter (Journalism)

 Brad Birkenfeld—UBS Whistleblower (Frank Wills Award)

Luncheon Roundtable / Panel Discussion: Strengthening Anti-Reprisal Rights under the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act

• Jason Zuckerman, Partner Zuckerman Law Firm; Former Senior Counsel, for the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
• Jordan Thomas, Chairman of Whistleblower Practice, Labaton Sucharow
• Eric Ben-Artzi, Deutsche Bank financial whistleblower
• Lisa Donner, Executive Director, Americans for Financial Reform

5:00-6:30 PM

National Whistleblower Appreciation Day Welcome Reception

“Sponsored by the Government Accountability Project”

Tom Devine, Government Accountability Project discussed the 25^th Anniversary of the Whistleblower Protection Act and introduced Robert MacLean and his landmark case on the WPEA.

Robert MacLean discussed the implications of his landmark whistleblowing case on the WPEA which is pending before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Cannon House Office Building

283 First Street, S.E.

Room 340

Washington, DC 20515

11:00-12:00 Noon

U.S. Office of Special Counsel: OSC and EEOC Memorandum of Understanding

• Michael McCray, General Counsel, FEW/LEF (Moderator)
  
• Shirine Moazed, Chief, Investigation and Prosecution Division, U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)
• Tom Devine, Government Accountability Project
• Mick Anderson, OSC Public Servant Award Winner

12:00-1:00 PM

Congressional Pillar Award Presentations

 Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Senator John Boozman (R-AR)

The Honorable Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

The Honorable Blake Farenthold (R-TX)

The Honorable Jackie Speier (D-CA)

Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner (OSC)

1:00-2:00 PM

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Stakeholder Panel

• Tony Norman, Vice Chair, Pacifica Foundation (Moderator)
• Patricia St. Clair, Assistant Director; Training and Outreach Division, EEOC, Office of Federal Sector 
• Tanya Ward Jordan, Founder, Coalition for Change
• Michael McCray, General Counsel, FEW/LEF
• Zena Crenshaw-Logal, Executive Director, National Judicial Conduct & Disability Law Project

2:00-3:00 PM

“Cooking the Books” at the VA and USDA

• Michael McCray, General Counsel, FEW/LEF (Moderator)
• Tanya Ward Jordan, Founder, Coalition for Change (C4C)
• Dr. David Tharp, Veterans Administration Whistleblower
• Daniel Brennin, Project on Government Oversight (invited)
• Lydia Dennett, Investigator on behalf of Danielle Brian, Executive Director, Project on Government Oversight (POGO)

3:00-4:00 PM

Class Actions: Justice Department, Social Security Administration and U.S. Department  of Agriculture

• Michael McCray, General Counsel, FEW/LEF
• Paulette Taylor, Civil Rights Chair, Coalition for Change
• David Grogan, U.S. Marshal Service, Justice Department
• Zena Crenshaw-Logal, Executive Director, National Judicial Conduct & Disability Law Project

6:00-8:00 PM

Whistleblower Solidarity Dinner

Tortilla Coast Restaurant on Capitol Hill

400 First Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003