Prosecutor Wins Whistleblower Award

A federal prosecutor and environmental-crimes whistleblower is declaring victory over the Department of Justice. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Natalie Walston reports:

Transcript

A federal prosecutor and environmental-crimes whistleblower is declaring
victory over the Department of Justice. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Natalie Walston reports:


Greg Sassae is an assistant U.S. Attorney in Cleveland.


He says his bosses retaliated against him for his investigation of alleged
environmental crimes at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.


Sasse says airport officials wanted to expand on nearly 40-acres once used
by NASA.


But … he says the land is contaminated with a chemical stew of rocket and
jet fuels, radioactive and nuclear wastes, and heavy metals.


Sasse says he was suspended for a week and denied a raise because of his
investigations.


A U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judge has awarded Sasse
200-thousand dollars in punitive damages.


The Department of Justice is appealing the ruling.


Jeff Ruch of the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility calls the
decision a landmark because it raises the question of whether a prosecutor
can be a whistleblower.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Natalie Walston.