Protecting Public Employees

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.

COMMENTARY | Public Health Scientist Vindicated

by Colleen Zimmerman | March 7, 2023
Even though Dr. Carpenter's case has been resolved, we hope the University at Albany will address the broader academic freedom issues that this case has opened ...

COMMENTARY | U.S. Geological Survey Labs Must Cure Culture of Reprisal

by Jeff Ruch | October 5, 2022
Third party review will help prevent future scientific scandals at the U.S. Geological Survey by providing a safe channel for USGS scientists to report problems without fear of reprisal ...

COMMENTARY | EPA’s Myth of Scientific Integrity

by Tim Whitehouse | May 4, 2022
The EPA keeps paying lip service to scientific integrity but reality, and the experiences of scientists at EPA, is a completely different story ...

EPA Scientist Survey Yields Horrific Results

by PEER | March 30, 2022
Scientist Feedback Scathing, Not Shared with Staff ...

PEERMail | Migratory Bird Whistleblower Case Goes to Judge

by Tim Whitehouse | February 22, 2022
Whistleblower case highlights the Biden administration failing to protect employees who stood up to the excesses of the Trump presidency ...

COMMENTARY | Scientific Integrity’s Central Conundrum

by Jeff Ruch | February 9, 2022
The issues with Dr. Lander's tenure in the White House are a symptom of a large problem with scientific integrity and research in federal government ...
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