    [United States Government Manual]
    [May 30, 1997]
    [Pages 639-641]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL

    Suite 300, 1730 M Street NW., Washington, DC 20036-4505
    Phones: Locator, 202-653-7188; Toll-free, 1-800-872-9855

    Special Counsel                                   Kathleen Day Koch
    Executive Assistant                               Robert J. Murphy
    Deputy Special Counsel                            James A. Kahl
    Associate Special Counsel for Prosecution         William E. Reukauf
    Associate Special Counsel for Investigation       Ruth Robinson Ertel,
                                                              Acting
    Associate Special Counsel for Planning and        Erin McDonnell
            Advice
    Director for Management                           John Kelley
    Director, Legislative and Public Affairs          Louis A. Vega, Acting

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    The Office of Special Counsel investigates allegations of certain
    activities prohibited by civil service laws, rules, or regulations and
    litigates before the Merit Systems Protection Board.

    Activities

    The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) was established on January 1, 1979,
    by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (5 U.S.C. app.). The Civil Service
    Reform Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 1101 note), which became effective on
    January 11, 1979,

    [[Page 640]]

    [[Page 641]]

    enlarged its functions and powers. Pursuant to provisions of the
    Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (5 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.), OSC
    functions as an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency
    within the executive branch which litigates before the Merit Systems
    Protection Board.
        The primary role of OSC is to protect employees, former employees,
    and applicants for employment from prohibited personnel practices,
    especially reprisal for whistleblowing. Its basic areas of statutory
    responsibility are:
        --receiving and investigating allegations of prohibited personnel
    practices and other activities prohibited by civil service law, rule, or
    regulation and, if warranted, initiating corrective or disciplinary
    action;
        --providing a secure channel through which information evidencing a
    violation of any law, rule, or regulation, gross mismanagement, gross
    waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial and specific danger
    to public health or safety may be disclosed without fear of retaliation
    and without disclosure of identity, except with the employee's consent;
    and
        --enforcing the provisions of the Hatch Act.

     Sources of Information

    Field offices are located in Dallas, TX (Room 7C30, 1100 Commerce
    Street, 75242; phone, 214-767-8871) and Oakland, CA (Suite 365S, 1301
    Clay Street, 94612-5217; phone, 510-637-3460).

    For further information, contact the Office of Special Counsel, Suite
    300, 1730 M Street NW., Washington, DC 20036-4505. Phone, 202-653-7188
    or 800-872-9855 (toll-free)

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