Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection

The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, and other laws and regulations provide the DIA Office of the Inspector General authority to receive and investigate complaints of potential violations of law, rules, or regulations, or gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial and specific danger to public health and safety.

Presidential Policy Directive 19 (PPD-19), “Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information” and title 10, United States Code, section 1034 (10 U.S.C. § 1034), “Protected communications; prohibition of retaliatory personnel actions,” and other laws provide protections to federal employees, federal contractor employees, and military service members when reporting such complaints while protecting classified national security information.

Furthermore, PPD-19 and 10 U.S.C. § 1034 protects individuals who report such complaints from reprisal. Reprisal occurs when a management official takes, or in some cases threatens unfavorable action against an individual or withholds favorable action because of a protected disclosure, such as reporting suspected fraud, waste, and abuse. Reprisal or retaliation taken against any DIA employee, contractor employee, or military member who has reported a violation as described above to the OIG, their chain of supervision, or any activity authorized to receive such reports is a violation of Federal law.

If you believe you have been retaliated against because of such reporting, please contact the DIA Hotline at (202) 231-1000 or via email at IG_Hotline@dodiis.mil or submit a reprisal complaint online here.

Whistleblower Frequently Asked Questions

Will my confidentiality be protected?
Yes, your confidentiality is protected by statute, unless you elect to waive confidentiality or disclosure becomes unavoidable. For example, a court may require that a complainant's name be disclosed during litigation.
What types of disclosure are protected?
Any of the following may be the topic of a protected disclosure, provided that disclosure is made to an authorized recipient (including persons in your chain of command, the DIA OIG, any OIG, or Congress):
- Violation of law, regulation, or policy
- Gross mismanagement (but not merely a difference of opinion over strategy, office operations, etc.)
- Gross waste of funds (but not debatable expenditures)
- Abuse of authority
- Threat to health or safety
What if I am wrong, and the action I report is not really a violation?
As long as you reasonably believed that the action you reported evidenced one of the categories above [types of disclosure], you are protected from reprisal. Also, you do not need to be absolutely certain about an alleged violation of law, or be able to identify the specific rule that you have alleged was violated.
Are contractors protected from reprisal?
Yes. Under Presidential Policy Directive 19, employees of U.S. Intelligence Community contractors making a protected disclosure are protected against acts of reprisal that affect or threaten to affect their security clearance. Moreover, the FISA Amendments Act of 2017 extended whistleblower protections against adverse personnel actions to contractor employees. The Act also codified contractor protections against adverse security clearance determinations.
Can I report anonymously to the OIG?
Yes, you can choose to report anonymously to the OIG, and we have developed cases based on information that was provided anonymously. However, if you report anonymously, we will not be able to contact you for additional information, so please make sure to include as much detail as possible.

If you choose to identify yourself but request confidentiality, the OIG will, as described above, protect your confidentiality and not identify you without your consent, unless doing so becomes unavoidable in the course of the investigation.
If I report something to the OIG, what will happen?
Once you make a complaint to the OIG, we will conduct fact-finding and analysis to determine whether some or all of the complaint warrants further review. If you identify yourself, we may reach out to ask you some questions to more fully understand the nature and details of your allegation(s).

For example, if there is a complaint of reprisal but no allegation that a protected disclosure was ever made, the OIG still might investigate the underlying conduct, such as abuse of authority or gross mismanagement. In certain situations, the OIG may recommend for you pursue other avenues or seek redress with other organizations in the Agency. Also, OIG may refer the matter to another office for appropriate action.

Once you have made a complaint and the OIG has determined that an investigation is appropriate, you may be interviewed in more detail by the OIG and/or asked to provide documents. In most cases, the OIG is not able to provide updates to a complainant about the status of an ongoing investigation. However, the OIG will make every effort to notify the complainant about the results of the investigation, particularly with regard to allegations of reprisal and other situations calling for personal remedies.
What are my remedies if retaliated against for a protected disclosure?
Retaliating against someone for making a protected disclosure is illegal. If your complaint of retaliation is substantiated, your status or situation may be restored, as nearly as possible, to what it would have been, had the illegal personnel action or security clearance revocation not occurred. You may also be entitled to back pay and/or attorney's fees.
Can anything happen to a supervisor who retaliates against me?
Absolutely. If the OIG substantiates a finding of retaliation, the case is referred for appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Where can I get more information?
Individuals wishing to file a complaint with the OIG should do so through our Hotline. Details are available here.