Phillips & Cohen partner Erika A. Kelton’s letter to the editor was published in The Guardian on 6/21/17. The letter responds to anti-whistleblower comments made by Sepp Blatter, the former president of FIFA.
“Sepp Blatter’s comments about whistleblowers in David Conn’s interview are woefully misguided, but unfortunately not uncommon (Sepp Blatter after the fall: ‘Why the hell should I bear all the blame?’, 19 June). In the interview, Blatter compared whistleblowers to a child “who was a whistleblower towards the tutor” and implied they were the problem and deserved some sort of punishment for raising concerns of wrongdoing. Whistleblowing comes in many forms, and all whistleblowers deserve more respect than comparing them to tattling youngsters. Thanks to whistleblowers, nefarious schemes that have cheated taxpayers and investors, and even endangered lives, have been brought to light. Experienced and well-qualified individuals often risk their careers, and sometimes their lives, to expose and stop wrongdoing.”