'Whistleblowing Airline
Employees Association' friend and hero, Former
Bell CEO Michael Prieto , was fired for being honest and sustaining his
integrity, while fulfilling his fiduciary responsibility to shareholders and
employees as such. He has filed a suit in this matter and will be speaking at
the National Press Club
in Washington, DC today inaugurating the launch of the "Voices of Corporate
Responsibiltiy".
In light of the huge
controversies swirling around the failure of the Securities
and Exchange Commission failures to enforce key provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, which include the oversight responsibilities of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) established by this legislation,
coupled with the Bush DOJ implementation of 'deferred
prosecution agreements', our association applauds Mr. Prieto for his
honesty, courage, and integrity in refusing to turn a blind eye to this alleged
travesty of justice that purportedly caused financial harm to American
tax-paying citizens, investors, and many others.
Recently, all national
whistleblower organizations called upon Attorney
General Eric Holder to launch an investigation as to why honest UBS
whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld is headed off to prison for 40 months for
exposing UBS fraud, a case in which our Department of Justice entered into just
such an agreement, a deferred prosecution agreement for wrongdoers, while the
gentleman who exposed the fraud is locked behind bars. This exposure saved
American taxpayers millions of dollars. We must join in questioning the
legal logic and justification of these decisions, given the financial mess we
find ourselves as tax-paying citizens demanding a greater openness of government
and an equitable system of justice. The firing of Michael Prieto and the
imprisonment of Bradley Birkenfeld sends chilling signals to all would be
corporate and employee whistleblowers across the land who might contemplate
whistleblowing within their corporation.
Additionally, reflect back
in recent financial scandal history, it is unconscionable to imagine the lengths
that Bernie Madoff whistleblower
Harry Markopolos went through to expose fraud that should have been detected
by the Securities and Exchange Commission, but was ignored, as was exposed
during the subsequent congressional hearings on this
matter.
Securities and Exchange
Commissioner Inspector General H. David Kotz recently admitted that the SEC was
remiss in their responsibilities to investigate alleged financial improprieties
in the United Airlines post-9/11 bankruptcy, which was filed over two years
under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The SEC is currently reviewing these materials,
and an association DOJ
email inquiry has been made to Assistant Attorney General - Criminal
Division Lanny Breuer as to whether the Department of Justice entered into a
deferred prosecution agreement with United Airlines in the past. Although
previously notified during this same time frame a few years ago, the Department
of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine in a letter to our association recently
stated in a letter that "This Office does not have jurisdiction in the matter
you described; therefore we are unable to assist you." (see
attached)
Additionally, the Inspector
Generals of the Departments of Labor and Treasury have yet to respond to the attached
letters concerning critically germane bankruptcy and pension
termination issues that drastically impacted employees, retirees, and
shareholders alike. It is sincerely hoped that during the course of the SEC
investigation into this matter, SEC Chairman Mary Shapiro will invite the
Departments of Justice, Labor, and Treasury to respond to questions raised by
the our association letter inquiry.
Do safety and security
professionals within the airline industry such as pilots, flight attendants,
mechanics, federal air marshals, and TSA employees find comfort in this? Ask
them. Recent reports received via our "Contact Us"
page of our website indicate otherwise. Passengers onboard commercial jet
aircraft would be alarmed to discover that many aviation safety and security
professionals have suffered harsh recriminations for speaking out on safety and
security concerns in
the past. Our collective voices are being heard. It is incumbent for active
airline and federal employees to speak out now, as our passengers depend upon us
for their safety as front-line insurance agent employees and in support of our
association mission statement on our
website.
As aviation safety and
security professionals, aircrew members and airline employees, federal air
marshals, and FAA personnel are held accountable under appropriate federal
regulations each and every day while on the job in a highly-dynamic, complex,
high-threat environment. These dedicated individuals must feel comfort in
reporting alleged violations of these federal air regulations, with the added
confidence that their senior level managers will support their exposition of
alleged infractions of regulations or criminal
wrongdoing.
The Departments of
Transportation/FAA, Homeland Security/TSA, Justice, and the Securities and
Exchange Commission must be held accountable for sustaining these same high
standards of legal, moral, and ethical behavior, while supporting those who
speak out in the name of our 'special interests', the millions who travel by
commercial air each day. Tax-paying citizens provide the salaries of the
employees of the above named governmental
organizations.
Federal bankruptcy law, high
fuel prices, a depressed economy, and other financial pressures and agendas do
not trump federal aviation law, security regulations, whistleblower laws, and
judiciary responsibilities of Chief Executive Officers to shareholders in a
high-threat terrorist environment. If this is the case, then these regulations must be
amended or rescinded to reflect the true nature of affairs in the
commercial aviation industry...and/or to protect those who dare to speak out.
Is it any wonder why we are presently in the financial mess we are
in?
"Our continuing mission
is to build the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the
world."
'Whistleblowing Airline
Employees Association' friend and hero, Former
Bell CEO Michael Prieto , was fired for being honest and sustaining his
integrity, while fulfilling his fiduciary responsibility to shareholders and
employees as such. He has filed a suit in this matter and will be speaking at
the National Press Club
in Washington, DC today inaugurating the launch of the "Voices of Corporate
Responsibiltiy".
In light of the huge
controversies swirling around the failure of the Securities
and Exchange Commission failures to enforce key provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, which include the oversight responsibilities of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) established by this legislation,
coupled with the Bush DOJ implementation of 'deferred
prosecution agreements', our association applauds Mr. Prieto for his
honesty, courage, and integrity in refusing to turn a blind eye to this alleged
travesty of justice that purportedly caused financial harm to American
tax-paying citizens, investors, and many others.
Recently, all national
whistleblower organizations called upon Attorney
General Eric Holder to launch an investigation as to why honest UBS
whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld is headed off to prison for 40 months for
exposing UBS fraud, a case in which our Department of Justice entered into just
such an agreement, a deferred prosecution agreement for wrongdoers, while the
gentleman who exposed the fraud is locked behind bars. This exposure saved
American taxpayers millions of dollars. We must join in questioning the
legal logic and justification of these decisions, given the financial mess we
find ourselves as tax-paying citizens demanding a greater openness of government
and an equitable system of justice. The firing of Michael Prieto and the
imprisonment of Bradley Birkenfeld sends chilling signals to all would be
corporate and employee whistleblowers across the land who might contemplate
whistleblowing within their corporation.
Additionally, reflect back
in recent financial scandal history, it is unconscionable to imagine the lengths
that Bernie Madoff whistleblower
Harry Markopolos went through to expose fraud that should have been detected
by the Securities and Exchange Commission, but was ignored, as was exposed
during the subsequent congressional hearings on this
matter.
Securities and Exchange
Commissioner Inspector General H. David Kotz recently admitted that the SEC was
remiss in their responsibilities to investigate alleged financial improprieties
in the United Airlines post-9/11 bankruptcy, which was filed over two years
under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The SEC is currently reviewing these materials,
and an association DOJ
email inquiry has been made to Assistant Attorney General - Criminal
Division Lanny Breuer as to whether the Department of Justice entered into a
deferred prosecution agreement with United Airlines in the past. Although
previously notified during this same time frame a few years ago, the Department
of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine in a letter to our association recently
stated in a letter that "This Office does not have jurisdiction in the matter
you described; therefore we are unable to assist you." (see
attached)
Additionally, the Inspector
Generals of the Departments of Labor and Treasury have yet to respond to the attached
letters concerning critically germane bankruptcy and pension
termination issues that drastically impacted employees, retirees, and
shareholders alike. It is sincerely hoped that during the course of the SEC
investigation into this matter, SEC Chairman Mary Shapiro will invite the
Departments of Justice, Labor, and Treasury to respond to questions raised by
the our association letter inquiry.
Do safety and security
professionals within the airline industry such as pilots, flight attendants,
mechanics, federal air marshals, and TSA employees find comfort in this? Ask
them. Recent reports received via our "Contact Us"
page of our website indicate otherwise. Passengers onboard commercial jet
aircraft would be alarmed to discover that many aviation safety and security
professionals have suffered harsh recriminations for speaking out on safety and
security concerns in
the past. Our collective voices are being heard. It is incumbent for active
airline and federal employees to speak out now, as our passengers depend upon us
for their safety as front-line insurance agent employees and in support of our
association mission statement on our
website.
As aviation safety and
security professionals, aircrew members and airline employees, federal air
marshals, and FAA personnel are held accountable under appropriate federal
regulations each and every day while on the job in a highly-dynamic, complex,
high-threat environment. These dedicated individuals must feel comfort in
reporting alleged violations of these federal air regulations, with the added
confidence that their senior level managers will support their exposition of
alleged infractions of regulations or criminal
wrongdoing.
The Departments of
Transportation/FAA, Homeland Security/TSA, Justice, and the Securities and
Exchange Commission must be held accountable for sustaining these same high
standards of legal, moral, and ethical behavior, while supporting those who
speak out in the name of our 'special interests', the millions who travel by
commercial air each day. Tax-paying citizens provide the salaries of the
employees of the above named governmental
organizations.
Federal bankruptcy law, high
fuel prices, a depressed economy, and other financial pressures and agendas do
not trump federal aviation law, security regulations, whistleblower laws, and
judiciary responsibilities of Chief Executive Officers to shareholders in a
high-threat terrorist environment. If this is the case, then these regulations must be
amended or rescinded to reflect the true nature of affairs in the
commercial aviation industry...and/or to protect those who dare to speak out.
Is it any wonder why we are presently in the financial mess we are
in?
"Our continuing mission
is to build the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the
world."
