Field Offices

Of Counsel

Jeff serves as Of Counsel to PEER, where he specializes in civil service, scientific integrity, and whistleblower protection issues. Jeff was PEER’s Executive Director from 1997 to 2019 and its Pacific Director from 2019 to 2025. Previously, he was the Policy Director and a staff attorney at the Government Accountability Project, representing whistleblowers from both the public and private sectors. Before coming to DC, Jeff worked in California state government for 17 years, mostly in the State Legislature as counsel to various committees where he drafted hundreds of laws on topics ranging from energy conservation to the rights of employed inventors. Jeff served stints as a deputy district attorney and an appellate court clerk. He is a graduate of the California Correctional Officers Academy.

BLOG | The Whistleblower Protection Act is Dead

by Jeff Ruch | September 10, 2020
Major issues with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), including a large backlog of cases, have rendered the Whistleblower Protection Act dead ...

Op-Ed: Science protections must be enforceable

by Jeff Ruch | September 6, 2020
“Recognizing that things have gotten so out of hand, Congress must enact new, strong enforcement mechanisms to free us from the grip of “alternative facts.” Failure to do so will mean we did not learn the hard lesson of the Trump experience and we have left the door open for it ...

PEER Testifies Before Colorado Oil and Gas Commission

by Kyla Bennett | September 4, 2020
Kyla Bennett testified in front of the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission to require a robust analysis of the impacts of oil and gas development ...

NOAA to Reduce Right Whale Aerial Surveys

by Susan Sargent | September 3, 2020
Eliminating Targeted Surveys Hampers Ability to Spot Whales in Distress ...

Beyond 2020: National Park Service

by Jeff Ruch | September 2, 2020
How the Park Service can continue to preserve the country’s natural and historical heritage for current and future generations ...
Phone: 202-265-7337

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Silver Spring, MD 20910-4453

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Environmental Responsibility

PEER is a 501(c)(3) organization
EIN: 93-1102740