Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and other whistleblowers have sparked an intense debate on the ethics of leaking secrets. Some view these people as martyrs, others view them as traitors. Numerous laws and acts have been put in place to protect those who choose to expose an entity’s wrongdoings, but where do we draw the line between honest whistleblowing and smear campaigns?
Corporate Whistleblowers
The subject of a leak and the method in which a whisteblower announces their findings all play a role in the ethics of a case. Is the accuser attempting to enact revenge on a corporation by tarnishing their reputation, or are they genuinely trying to alert the public of fraud, harmful practices, and other misdeeds? Many employees keep quiet when they witness corruption because they fear losing their jobs and risk damaging their chances of future employment. And even if an attempt is made, businesses will go to great lengths to cover their tracks, including forcing employees to sign contracts that prevent workers from speaking up about company policies. Consider the case of Donna Busche, whose story was mentioned in thisWashington Post article. According to the Post, Busche was fired after raising safety concerns about the nuclear facility she managed. The nondisclosure agreement prevented Busche and her coworkers from reporting mishaps, and also made it impossible for them to receive financial rewards for whistleblowing. Like many others before her, Busche was accused of being fired for other reasons, despite her claims that she did it for ethical reasons.
Measures such as the Dodd-Frank act of 2010 and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement act of 2012 are meant to protect people like Busche. However, some believe that the government isn’t doing enough to enforce these rules, while others believe that the law encourages people to lie for financial gain. Dodd-Frank rewards whistleblowers with up to 30 percent of the recovery, which can generate millions for the prosecution in a big case.
Going Against the Government
The legality of whistleblowing becomes even more muddled when it involves the government. Snowden’s most recent revelations about the National Security Agency (NSA) have some lauding him as a hero, while others accuse him of treason.
Most recently, a women by the name of Sabrina De Sousa is being punished for her involvement in the kidnapping of Abu Omar. Aljazeera America ran an article about the former CIA operative, who claims to be used as a “scapegoat” for the CIA. De Sousa was working with the CIA in Italy at the time of the kidnapping, but made several attempts to alert Congress to investigate the CIA’s actions. She believed that their treatment of Omar was a huge mistake, and after failing to receive support, found herself being accused for being the mastermind of the operation.
A Difficult Decision
Although the majority of Americans won’t be involved in cases like Snowden’s and De Sousa’s, some may find themselves in a difficult position. A whistleblower is oftentimes the spark needed to ignite a corporate fraud case. Before deciding to go public with information, it’s important for potential whistleblowers to look over contracts they may have signed and learn more about their state’s laws. Even corporations who find themselves the subject of a leak will need to launch an investigation to prove the accuracy of such claims.
For several decades, animal rights organizations have provided a voice to the animals that couldn’t speak up for themselves. The fight against animal cruelty is ongoing, and despite new regulations, many animals are still kept in abusive conditions worldwide. One of the best ways to catch the offenders and put an end to the cruelty is by gathering video evidence of inhumane situations. Many of these animal rights organizations have begun hiring private investigators to do surveillance on locations that have been rumored to be abusive.
A Voice for those Who Have None
In 2009, TIMEran an article about a private eye who went undercover at a hog farm. The investigator, who went by the name “Pete”, gave up his dream of becoming a cop and left behind his family and friends to pursue a career as an animal rights investigator. His account of the farm and the ensuing court case were featured in an HBO documentary called Death on a Factory Farm. Thanks to his video evidence, Pete has been able to uncover horrible conditions at farms and factories of all kinds throughout the country. According to him, the worst was chicken farms, where barely living hens were tossed into the trash after having their necks broken.
Farms aren’t the only places being targeted by investigators and organizations alike. The Ringling Bros. Circus and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been in an ongoing battle over claims of animal abuse. PETA has launched its own investigation into the circus, documenting video footage of circus staff beating elephants and gathering witness accounts from past circus employees. Aquariums and zoos have also been in the news after documentaries like Blackfish brought abuse at SeaWorld to the public’s eye. Zoos, kennels, and even private homes are also hot spots that may require an investigation.
Doing it the Right Way
Often, the people who look into these claims and infiltrate businesses aren’t investigators at all. And when someone who’s inexperienced in the field of investigation goes undercover, there’s the potential for serious consequences. Consider the story of Taylor Radig, an animal right’s activist who went undercover at a cattle company in Denver, Colorado. Radig was a contractor for Compassion Over Killing, an organization dedicated to uncovering and preventing animal cruelty. Her investigation was centered around gathering video evidence at the cattle farm. During her time there, Radig witnessed workers pushing and shoving day old calves, a clear sign of animal abuse. Once she presented authorities with her proof, those workers were charged with cruelty to animals. However, Radig soon found herself charged with the Class 1 misdemeanor as well, because she had neglected to report the abuse as soon as she had seen it.
Taylor Radig isn’t the only person to be charged with the very abuse she was trying to prevent, and she certainly won’t be the last. Some states have laws that require cruelty to be reported immediately, and those who view it and fail to tell authorities in time are just as guilty as the offenders. That’s why it’s important to hire someone who is experienced in the field. Even Pete, the private eye who investigated the hog farm, was unlicensed at the time of the article. He and others like him run the risk of criminal charges and lawsuits if they get caught, and the evidence might not hold up in court as well if it was obtained illegally.
For these reasons, several animal rights groups have decided that simply having an organization member go undercover isn’t enough. These groups are dealing with big companies, and investigations require careful planning that are performed according to the law. Hiring a licensed, experienced investigator who is familiar with the law can ensure that this video evidence is collected in a safe matter. After all, a court battle involving an amateur investigator takes away time and attention from the true victims here: the animals.
Hacking and security breaches are an ever-growing crime. If you are a consumer, never presume your information is safe even while grocery shopping. If you are a corporate business, there are many things you can do to improve your security. Contact us – We can help.
Life can suddenly change and you may find yourself facing a divorce, child custody dispute, cheating spouse, civil or criminal litigation. When life takes a sudden turn, it helps to kick a plan into action as soon as possible. The need for a private investigator arises, when we face the need to collect information that will be pertinent to the outcome of a case or verify information provided. Information must be collected professionally, efficiently, and within the boundaries of state and federal law and requires hiring a licensed private investigator, also commonly referred to as a private detective, private eye or PI. When hiring a private investigator it pays to know whom you are hiring.
Most every state in the U.S. requires an individual to complete a background check and obtain a license to be a private investigator but, in the few states where licensing is not required by the state, anyone can become a private investigator. Working with an inexperienced investigator can create significant liability to a client. Considering this, it is very important for a person to do their homework when hiring an investigator so you get the quality services they are paying for.
Private investigators offer an array of specialized services from background investigations, surveillance, computer forensics, and process of legal service, missing person and homicide investigations, criminal defense investigations and many more, while others specialize in a specific service. Regardless of the type of investigation, it is vital that an investigator be knowledgeable and compliant with state and federal laws that pertain to privacy, legal statutes in relation to medical and financial information, proper surveillance techniques, court procedure, and even victim’s rights.
A multitude of fee-based and free networks or associations are available on the Internet providing names of private investigators and private investigation agencies from state to state. These networks provide assistance in locating a private investigator specific to the service needed or in close proximity to the client, however these networks are not a regulatory agency, and many have no background information on the private investigator. While network services are beneficial and do simplify the search for a private investigator, sometimes network services can pose a problem when a client assumes they are hiring a reputable private investigator. Many networks do not provide investigative services themselves and simply serve as an advertising service not liable for the actions or quality of services provided by those listed. Many networks are simply a marketing tool that only require the private investigator or firm to pay a monthly fee to be listed, and do not verify the private investigator’s “good-standing” with any state regulatory agency.
Due Diligence when hiring a local private investigator:
Request a copy of licensing information and any associations the private investigator is a member.
Request a specific list of services the investigator or agency provides.
Contact your Better Business Bureau and state regulatory agency and inquire if there are any complaints on file.
Ask if they subcontract work out to independent investigators.
Request professional references from the investigator; references can include former clients, associates, and even law enforcement personnel.
Ask to review investigative contracts and retainer agreements. Remember, a written contract protects both the client and the private investigator and identifies the terms of the agreement while minimizing misunderstandings and liability.
Hiring a local private investigator enables the client to have a “one on one” consultation in order to discuss the case, discuss work to be performed, review documents, and verify references. Another major benefit of hiring a local private investigator is the investigators knowledge of the area and critical to conducting an effective investigation.
Having connections is an absolute benefit to any investigation. Knowing the neighborhood, local companies, business owners, residents, and “those in the know” cannot be overstated. Obtaining information from a “trusted source” and gathering information in a discreet manner is more dependable if the investigator is familiar with the demographic and geographic makeup of the area. In addition, it is an assurance a client will receive more personalized service.
Thomas Lauth is a 20-year veteran investigator and owner of Lauth Investigations International headquartered in Indianapolis, IN with additional offices in Colorado and Arizona. Lauth has and his team of investigators has provided investigative services that include skip traces, background checks, private and corporate investigations, criminal defense investigations for the state of Indianapolis, child abuse, sex trafficking, and even high profile missing person investigations.
According to Lauth, the benefits of hiring a “homegrown” private investigation firm are immeasurable. “Most investigations and preparation for litigation creates an emotional environment for those involved,” says Lauth. “As licensed private investigators, it important to be dedicated and it is our duty to represent our clients with the utmost integrity and moral conduct so as not to add to emotional injury.”
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults
Lauth Investigations International, Inc.
201 N. Illinois St., 16th Fl.-South Tower
Indianapolis, IN 46204
At the World Investigators Conference in Dallas, Rhonda Hines inspects a device that can detect hidden cameras. Some 600 private detectives from around the world attended.
DALLAS — Let’s say you’re a private investigator, and your client wants to get the goods on that philandering spouse.
You could do it the old-fashioned way, trailing him (or her) all over town.
Or, for $695, you could buy a GPS Personal Asset Tracker and hide it under the bumper of the subject’s car. Then you could sit back in your office, turn on the computer and, via a secure Web site, get the location of every place Cheatin’ Heart goes.
“It works in real time so if they’re in a bar or at someone’s house, you can show up,” said Cody Woods, a private investigator and manager of the Spy Exchange & Security Center in Austin, Texas.
Technology is one of many factors changing the P.I. business, and nowhere was that more evident than at the recent World Investigators Conference in Dallas. Some 600 gumshoes from as far away as Thailand were on hand to learn about the latest gizmos and services for “getting the competitive edge” in a down economy, as one speaker put it.
Woods’ booth, for example, featured a cornucopia of surveillance gear, including $10 sunglasses that enable the wearer to see behind him. Or for $195, P.I.s can surreptitiously photograph a subject with tiny cameras hidden in everything from belt buckles and baseball caps to pens, watches, flashlights and key chains.
“People know cameras are in cell phones and might be a little wary,” Woods said, “but who’s going to think about a camera in a key chain? You can take a key chain anywhere.”
The three-day conference was partly sponsored by TLO, the Boca Raton company whose corporate slogan is “lightning in a bottle.” TLO founder Hank Asher developed Accurint, a database used by investigators to find people, and a highlight of the conference was to be Asher’s unveiling of a supposedly superior new product called Accurint Killer.
But there was no demonstration.
“The lightning isn’t quite in the bottle,” said Asher, who was accompanied to Dallas by most of his management team, including former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth.
Nonetheless, the crowd had plenty to take in.
Since Eugene Francois Vidocq became the world’s first private detective in the 1800s, tracking fraudsters around France, the P.I. business has grown ever-more specialized. At a book stall, conference participants could browse scores of titles ranging from Practical Homicide Investigations to Kidnap for Ransom to Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting (Second edition).
“One reason P.I.s come here is to find other things to do,” said James Jessel of Signal Auditing.
His New York-based company is hired by DirecTV, a satellite service, to find bars and restaurants that show non-network National Football League games without paying for them. Signal Auditing in turn hires local private eyes to ferret out scofflaws.
“If we have somebody in Gainesville, they can access the legal list (of DirecTV) customers and know what restaurant is paying the legal rates,” Jessel said.
Darren McCulley’s specialty is more traditional. He does “fugitive recovery,” but the job has become easier thanks to Google and Web sites like Facebook and MySpace where even crooks post personal information.
“You could spend six months in a car or you could jump online and do a little profiling with social network sites,” said McCulley, a Dallas P.I. who recently found a notorious parole violator. “I think human nature is to want people to know what they’re doing.”
For P.I.s who need help navigating such sites, a Hernando County company, Tracers of Spring Hill, was touting its latest product: “Social Network Profile Search.”
The new service, which costs $2 (“no hit, no fee”) identifies the actual owner or user of a specific e-mail address and also finds Web postings, pictures, personal details, family, friends and more.
“I call it the George Orwell Search — a little 1984,” said Sarah Dyer of Tracers. “It implies Big Brother is watching you, but actually this is information that’s out there.”
The economy has taken its toll on private investigators, with thousands nationwide said to have dropped out of the business in the past few years. While the number of repossession agents in Florida is up, the number of P.I.s. has remained flat at about 7,900.
“The fact this hasn’t grown in a state where we’re used to occupations growing says something,” notes Terence McElroy, a spokesman for Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, which regulates private investigators.
Private eyes have long been popular in literature (Sherlock Holmes), movies (Sam Spade) and on television (Peter Gunn, the Rockford Files). Judging from the conference crowd, it remains a field dominated by men, many of them military veterans or former law enforcement officers.
But P.I.s of both genders have a disdain for one staple of the trade — spending long hours parked across from a No-Tel Motel, hoping to catch an unfaithful spouse.
“Surveillance is so ugly. I just hate it; I always did,” said Dana Miller, a Denton, Texas, investigator for 20 years. “It’s always raining or snowing or you’ve got to pee. That’s the hardest part for women.”… Source
