Republican lawmakers are urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide transparency regarding the protection of whistleblowers in the ongoing investigation into the two assassination attempts against former President Trump. Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson expressed concerns after whistleblowers disclosed that Secret Service employees were required to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to access briefings on 'sensitive reporting' related to their work protecting Trump.
Photos shared in the letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas showed screenshots of NDAs sent to Secret Service agents. The senators are now requesting information on the scope of the NDAs and whether employees were mandated to sign statutorily-required anti-gag language.
Referring to the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA), the senators emphasized that federal agencies must include specific language in NDAs notifying employees of their rights to disclose waste, fraud, abuse, or misconduct to Congress, an Inspector General, or the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
Grassley and Johnson also demanded that DHS provide the threat assessment used to justify the NDAs and disclose how the requirement impacted Trump's and other officials' protective details.
The senators underscored the importance of whistleblowers knowing their rights under the law and emphasized that federal agencies should support employees in reporting allegations of misconduct through appropriate channels. They warned against agencies concealing wrongdoing behind illegal nondisclosure policies and actions.
