Commentary

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 | Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s Autocratic Power Grab

by Peter Jenkins | August 3, 2020
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s Autocratic Power Grab In an obscure announcement on July 22nd about President Trump’s border wall obsession, the Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, stated that he was handing 66 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the ...

BLOG | Don’t Mention COVID-19 at NOAA

by Kyla Bennett | July 22, 2020
NOAA has informed its employees to avoid mentions of COVID-19 in publicly available documents as the hyper-political White House attempts to win reelection ...

Statement | Uplisting of North Atlantic Right Whales

by Susan Sargent | July 9, 2020
The IUCN has uplisted the North Atlantic right whales from endangered to critically endangered which means is it "facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild ...

BLOG | How GAO Is Helping Shine A Light on My Former Federal Agency

by Guest Contributor | July 8, 2020
Former DOE scientist Bill Dam reveals groundwater contamination coming from several former uranium mills in Wyoming, endangering two Native American tribes ...

BLOG | Reforming Whistleblower Protection Laws 

by Paula Dinerstein | July 7, 2020
In light of the dangerous pattern of retaliation by the Trump Administration against those who report wrongdoing, it is more important than ever to preserve and reform federal whistleblower protections ...

BLOG | Trump’s Dangerous Salute to Toadyism at Mt. Rushmore

by Jeff Ruch | June 29, 2020
Trump plans to stage a dangerous distraction disguised as fireworks at Mt. Rushmore, risking both wildfires and potentially, public health from the crowds ...
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