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OSC Obtains Settlement for Whistleblowers at Federally-run Bonneville Power Administration by Ryan McDermott Fierce Government, April 7, 2015

The Office of Special Counsel obtained settlements for several whistleblowers who were disciplined for calling out the Energy Department's Bonneville Power Administration for manipulating the hiring process, says an April 2 OSC statement.

The statement (pdf) doesn't name the whistleblowers, but it says several of them alleged retaliation from officials at the Bonneville plant after they disclosed widespread hiring violations including avoiding selecting veterans for jobs.

"Whistleblowers were key to uncovering hiring offenses that adversely affected veterans at the Bonneville Power Administration, and they deserve praise for bravely speaking up," said Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner.

In its settlements with the whistleblowers, BPA provided full relief to four BPA employees.

BPA and OSC both determined after an investigation that a former BPA human resources director had primary responsibility for the hiring violations and acts of retaliation.

However, the HR director retired from federal service during the OSC and OIG investigations.

OSC also says that disciplinary action should be taken against two other human resources supervisors because they were complicit in the hiring violations.

BPA took disciplinary action against those two supervisors, including removing their supervisory duties.

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