Congress and Whistleblowers

Guidance for Working with Whistleblowers

Whistleblowers commonly contact Congress to seek guidance and support, and the House relies on their disclosures to conduct oversight. For that relationship to succeed, it is important for Member offices and committees to have the tools to handle whistleblower matters.

The independent and nonpartisan Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds can provide support in several areas, including

• Trainings on best practices for working with whistleblowers
• Developing procedures for whistleblower intake
• Consultations to aid in responding to whistleblowers and maintaining confidentiality
• Technical expertise around whistleblower legislation

Please visit the Congressional Staff Academy's website to register for the Office's virtual training on best practices for working with whistleblowers. Alternatively, schedule a private training for your office. Additional training details can be found here.

In addition, view the Office's Guidance Documents & Videos, Fact Sheets, and FAQ page for additional guidance to assist your office in working with whistleblowers.

Whistleblowers seeking general guidance can also view the Office's Whistleblower Resources page, which provides whistleblower best practices and survival tips, as well as common referral options and additional governmental and nongovernmental resources.

All communications with the Office are treated in a confidential capacity.

House Whistleblower Requirements in the 117th Congress

At the beginning of the 117th Congress the House adopted rules to protect whistleblowers. Rule XXIII, the Code of Official Conduct for the House, now prohibits the House from engaging in retaliation against individuals because of truthful disclosures made to certain congressional offices or to law enforcement. Further, it mandates the protection of whistleblower confidentiality. Both provisions are summarized below, and the text and section-by-section analysis are available here.

• Retaliation: Clause 20 of rule XXIII (House Code of Official Conduct) prohibits a Member, Delegate, Resident, Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House from taking any actions to prevent an individual from, or to retaliate against an individual for, providing truthful information to the House Committee on Ethics, the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, or any law enforcement official, provided that the disclosure of such information is not otherwise prohibited by law or House rules. See the Office's Legislative Branch Whistleblowing Fact Sheet for a full menu of rights.
  
• Whistleblower Confidentiality: Clause 21 of rule XXIII (House Code of Official Conduct) prohibits a Member, officer, or employee of the House from publicly disclosing the identity of, or personally identifiable information about, any individual who has reported allegations of wrongdoing, including unlawful whistleblower retaliation, pursuant to any federal law that establishes a right to make protected disclosures to Congress. Note that several important exceptions to the confidentiality rule exist: The individual's express prior written consent to the release of their identity; voluntary prior public disclosure of the individual's identity; or a two-thirds vote by a House committee to release the individual's identity.
  
  

GAO: Key Practices for Congress to Consider When Receiving and Referring Information

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*​Please note: The Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds DOES NOT receive whistleblower disclosures. It is an independent, nonpartisan support office established to advise House offices on best practices for working with whistleblowers from the public and private sectors.