Whistleblower Aid is a nonprofit legal assistance organization co-founded by John Tye and Mark Zaid to help whistleblowers[1] in government and the private sector. It provides free legal services as well as support and security services for eligible clients.[2]
History
In 2017, John N. Tye and attorney Mark S. Zaid formed the nonprofit law office Whistleblower Aid. Tye had previously worked from 2011 to 2014 as the section chief for Internet freedom in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the US State Department, and was a whistleblower about government surveillance in the United States.
Initially focused on employees and contractors of the U.S. federal government, Whistleblower Aid emphasizes it is not WikiLeaks. "No one should ever send classified information to Whistleblower Aid," the firm states. "Whistleblower Aid will never assist clients or prospective clients with leaking classified information." Instead, would-be whistleblowers with classified information will be directed to investigators with security clearances to help expose wrongdoing without breaking the law or incurring criminal liability.[3][4] Clients are not charged. To cover expenses, the firm solicits donations from foundations and crowd-source funding.[3]
In 2020, it received a $150,000 grant from the Omidyar Network, the philanthropic investment firm founded by eBay founder
External links
References
- Cat Zakrzewski. Transcript: Facebook Crisis with John Tye The Washington Post, 6 October 2021, retrieved 4 May 2022^
- Reed Albergotti. The Facebook whistleblower's case was a big gamble for the nonprofit supporting her The Washington Post, October 22, 2021, retrieved 5 April 2022^
- Morello, Carol. Former whistleblower starts legal aid group to guide would-be tipsters