[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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