Why We Did This Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General received a complaint of whistleblower reprisal under 41 U.S.C. § 4712 from a former employee of an EPA grantee. The complaint alleged that the complainant was terminated in December 2023 in retaliation for making several disclosures regarding potential grant fraud and gross mismanagement of an EPA grant or subgrant.
Summary of Findings
The investigation determined that the complainant made at least five separate protected disclosures to tribal employees, including the COO and CEO. We found that these protected disclosures were contributing factors in the complainant’s termination. We also determined that the tribe cannot demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that it would have terminated the complainant in the absence of the protected disclosures. As such, we substantiated the complainant’s retaliation allegations.