Commentary

Senior Counsel

Jeff serves as Senior 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.

Op-Ed | San Francisco’s Sewage Agency Also Needs Some Treatment

by Jeff Ruch | August 31, 2023
San Francisco taxpayers and ratepayers are footing the bill in the fight against tougher sewage controls on its oceanside outlets since 2019 ...

DNR Logging Violations on Fisheries and Wildlife Lands

by Guest Contributor | August 24, 2023
Minnesota DNR failed to protect the natural resources they have been entrusted to manage, allowing logging to supersede habitat and wildlife ...

“P” in PEER Also Stands for Persistent

by Paula Dinerstein | August 15, 2023
Persistence pays off for PEER even in the battle for the skies of national parks ...

COMMENTARY | Is Congress Too Dysfunctional to Fund the National Parks?

by Jeff Ruch | August 10, 2023
In past decades, America’s best idea was one of the few domestic programs enjoying bipartisan support ...

COMMENTARY | Florida’s Environment – A Native Floridian Perspective

by Natasha De La Cruz | August 3, 2023
Florida must take significant steps to promote coastal resiliency and protect all communities against the effects of climate change and water pollution ...