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 | University of Colorado Faculty Must Address Climate Science Censorship

by Chandra Rosenthal | June 8, 2020
The University of Colorado Boulder needs to ensure that special interests are not controlling climate change research conducted by university scientists ...

BLOG | It’s Time to Take on Interior Department Corruption

by Tim Whitehouse | June 2, 2020
In the midst of a pandemic, corruption at the Department of Interior continues with slashed oil and gas royalties and fines on renewable energy companies ...

BLOG | National Parks Stumble Towards Reforms

by Jeff Ruch |
In order for national parks to remain “America’s Best Idea,” park managers must move from merely maximizing crowds to actually managing them ...

Statement | We Must All Address Racism and Economic Injustice

by Tim Whitehouse | June 1, 2020
The outrage over recent racial violence and injustice, has been another reminder of our failure to address a history of racism and economic injustice ...

BLOG | EPA Creating A “Pandemic of Pollution” Since COVID-19 Crisis

by Tim Whitehouse | May 26, 2020
Despite the connection between exposure to air pollution and adverse outcomes from COVID-19, EPA continues to accelerate its efforts to gut important air quality protections, unleashing what a new staff report by U.S. Senator Carper calls a “pandemic of pollution.” Since March 1, EPA ...

BLOG | New Age of Impunity: Trump’s Relentless Attack on Oversight

by Jeff Ruch | May 22, 2020
Trump's firing of the State Department’s Inspector General should send a shiver of fear down the spine of every oversight functionary left in Washington ...
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