Hawkeye Reporter

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has called on President Donald Trump to ensure that federal whistleblowers are protected from retaliation as the administration moves forward with efforts to reduce government waste and fraud. In a letter sent July 24, 2025, Grassley urged the president to prevent federal agencies from using workforce downsizing initiatives as grounds for unlawful actions against employees who have made legally protected disclosures.

“For decades, my oversight work has exposed bloated government that’s broken faith with the American taxpayer. Trillions of dollars of taxpayer money have been lost to waste, fraud and abuse … However, I write today because it’s important that federal agencies aren’t using this downsizing initiative as an excuse to retaliate against federal workers who have made protected whistleblower disclosures. If that has happened, this would not only be unlawful but also have a severe chilling effect on federal employees who would otherwise blow the whistle,” Grassley wrote.

Grassley requested that the administration identify any federal employees terminated after making legally protected whistleblower disclosures if their dismissals were not part of the official Reduction in Force initiative. He asked for each case to be reviewed individually to determine whether these actions were linked to protected disclosures.

“Whistleblowers are the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse … In many circumstances, the misconduct and wrongdoing these patriotic whistleblowers risk their careers, livelihoods, and reputations to bring to light would have never been known to Congress, the federal government, or the American people if they didn’t have the guts to come forward. Yet, in many instances, they aren’t thanked for coming forward; rather, they’re treated like skunks at a picnic,” Grassley continued.

The senator pointed out cases where IRS whistleblowers who reported misconduct related to the Hunter Biden investigation faced retaliation under the Biden administration but later received promotions after Trump returned to office. Similarly, he noted his work with the Trump administration in securing promotions and back pay for three Customs and Border Protection employees—Mark Jones, Mike Taylor, and Fred Wynn—who had experienced retaliation for reporting issues concerning border security. The Trump administration also restored law enforcement credentials for Jones and Taylor after those had been revoked by the previous administration.

Grassley has played a significant role in developing laws aimed at protecting whistleblowers. He coauthored both the original Whistleblower Protection Act—which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush—and later supported enhancements through additional legislation such as the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012. The latter included an “anti-gag” provision authored by Grassley himself which prevents nondisclosure agreements from restricting lawful whistleblower communications with Congress or oversight bodies.

In his letter's conclusion, Grassley emphasized ongoing vigilance despite existing legal protections: “Accordingly, I strongly urge federal agencies to ensure all allegations of whistleblower retaliation are given fair and appropriate review, investigation, and consideration.” He also reminded President Trump of his request for a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers.