Carolyn Lerner's reappointment nomination as Special Counsel for the Office of Special Counsel has been withdrawn by the White House, an announcement of great concern to whistleblowers considering President Donald Trump's early agency gag orders and rebuke of federal workers who complained early on, The Washington Post reported.
The Office of Special Counsel is a federal agency charged with protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. Lerner took over as Special Counsel in 2011.
The White House has pulled back on nearly two dozen Senate nominations, including inspectors general positions at the Defense Department, Social Security Administration, Office of Personnel Management and the National Security Agency.
Lerner's reappointment has the support of several Republicans, including Rep. Rod Blum, R- Iowa, who leads the effort in trying to retain Lerner. He wrote a letter in early February supporting her nomination for another five-year term.
"Under Ms. Lerner's leadership, OSC has increased both the number of claims it investigates and the number of cases resolved," Blume said. "OSC has won bipartisan praise for its work, including resolving multiple cases of retaliation against whistleblowers at the Veterans Administration, resulting in meaningful reforms meant to improve the care of our nation's veterans.
"We believe Ms. Lerner has earned a second term."
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