Office of Special Counsel

• Pages: 497-498

OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL

1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036-4505

Phone, 202-254-3600 or 800-872-9855. Fax, 202-653-5151. Internet, www.osc.gov.

Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch

Deputy Special Counsel James L. Renne

Associate Special Counsel for Leonard Dribinsky

Investigation and Prosecution Division

Director of Field Operations William Reukauf

Outreach Director and Counsel James McVay

Associate Special Counsel for Legal Erin M. McDonnell

Counsel and Policy Division

Director, Congressional and Public Affairs Cathy Deeds

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Office of Special Counsel investigates allegations of certain activities prohibited by civil service laws, rules, or regulations and litigates before the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Activities

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) was established on January 1, 1979, by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (5 U.S.C. app.). The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 1101 note), which became effective on January 11, 1979, enlarged its functions and powers. Pursuant to provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (5 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.), OSC functions as an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency within the executive branch which litigates before the Merit Systems Protection Board.

The primary role of OSC is to protect employees, former employees, and applicants for employment from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing.Its basic areas of statutory responsibility are to do the following:

--receive and investigate allegations of prohibited personnel practices and other activities prohibited by civil service law, rule, or regulation and, if warranted, initiating corrective or disciplinary action;

--provide a secure channel through which information...