May, 6th, 2008
From: Jeremy Bishop, Pride at Work, AFL-CIO

DC Pride At Work Chapter Blows The Whistle On Bloch - FBI Hears The Call

Washington, DC- In March of 2007, the Pride At Work Washington, DC
Chapter created a special campaign called, "Blow the whistle on
Bloch" to highlight the defacto removal of whistleblower protection
in the Office of Special Counsel, the office that was created to enforce
civil rights protections and protect whistleblowers in the federal
workforce.

Today, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Office of
Special Counsel, seizing computers and documents belonging to the agency
chief Scott Bloch and staff.

In the past three years, the office has been transformed into an office
rife with cronyism, secrecy, inefficiency, and bigotry. Under special
counsel Scott Bloch, it has become a launching pad for attacks on civil
and workers' rights. Its mission has been distorted and weakened.

The undue influence of partisan and ideological demands during this
administration and the de facto removal of whistleblower protections
have created an adverse climate for professional public servants.

Incidents such as the recent firings of the U.S. attorneys highlight
the premium on ideological control during this administration. And it
foregrounds the dangers of reprisal. Scott Bloch and his mismanagement
at the Office of Special Counsel are an integral part of these
problems.

Scott Bloch took office in January 2004. Soon he removed
anti-discrimination protections for gay and lesbian federal workers.
Even Bloch's bosses in the Bush White House have said, "Longstanding
federal policy prohibits discrimination against federal employees based
on sexual orientation. President Bush expects federal agencies to
enforce this policy and to ensure that all federal employees are
protected from unfair discrimination at work."

Today, more than a dozen FBI agents served grand jury subpoenas shortly
after 10 a.m., shutting down the agency's computer network and searching
its offices, as well as Mr. Bloch's home. Employees said the searches
appeared focused on alleged obstruction of justice by Mr. Bloch during
the course of an 2006 inquiry into his conduct in office.

"Pride At Work DC is glad that we began to blow the whistle on the
conduct unbecoming of Special Counsel Scott Bloch's office over a year
ago," said Hans Johnson, Pride At Work Washington, DC Chapter
President. "The Office of Special Counsel is supposed to be the refuge
for workers who are facing discrimination on the job. We hope this badly
needed investigation by the FBI will reign in this office of critical
importance, and begin the process of reinstating protections for workers
on the basis of many categories including sexual orientation. In
addition, we demand that any new occupants of this critical office
extend protections to those of diverse gender identities as well."

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Pride At Work is an affiliated constituency group for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender workers in the labor movement. Pride At Work
seeks to mobilize mutual support between the organized Labor Movement
and the LGBT community around organizing for social and economic
justice. We seek full equality for LGBT workers in their workplaces and
unions.
http://www.pawdc.org
http://www.prideatwork.org