Senate Democrats launch portal for whistleblowers in Trump administration

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said they are launching a portal for whistleblowers to expose wrongdoing and abuses of power in the Trump administration.

“As Senate Republicans refuse to fulfill their constitutional duty to provide a check on the executive branch, Senate Democrats remain steadfast in our commitment to uncovering the truth. We are prepared to issue demand letters, preserve public records and pursue legal action where necessary,” Schumer and Peters wrote in a letter to federal civil service employees and public servants.

They noted that the Whistleblower Protection Act prohibits retaliation against federal employees who disclose evidence of wrongdoing

“Whistleblowers are essential to helping uncover fraud and abuse in the federal government. If you have information you want to share about wrongdoing, abuse of power, and threats to public safety, we stand ready to support you in your pursuit of truth and justice,” they wrote.

Monday's announcement of the new portal is the latest escalation of Democratic tactics in pushing back against the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze spending and cut federal programs.

Democrats held the Senate floor overnight last week to protest the nomination of Russell Vought, who helped write the conservative blueprint for using executive power to cut spending, to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he would be willing to shut the government down if that’s what it takes to put a stop to the aggressive moves by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to lock out federal workers at some agencies and to push aggressive cuts.

“I cannot support efforts that will continue this lawlessness that we’re seeing when it comes to this administration’s actions,” Kim said. “And for us to be able to support government funding in that way only for them to turn it around, to dismantle the government. That is not something that should be allowed.”

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