whistleblower

A person who reports suspected wrongdoing, fraud, abuse of power, or illegal activity, typically by a government official or within an organization, to an appropriate authority such as an inspector general, Congress, or law enforcement. Federal law provides whistleblowers with legal protections against retaliation by their employers, and dedicated channels exist for intelligence community personnel under the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act. A 2019 whistleblower complaint about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy triggered the first Trump impeachment proceedings.