[United States Government Manual]
[June 15, 2003]
[Pages 493-495]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL

Suite 300, 1730 M Street NW., Washington, DC 20036-4505

Phone, 800-872-9855. Fax, 202-653-5151. Internet, www.osc.gov.
Special Counsel                                   Elaine Kaplan
Deputy Special Counsel                            Timothy Hannapel
    Associate Special Counsel for                 William E. Reukauf
            Investigations and 
            Prosecution Division I
    Associate Special Counsel for                 (vacancy)
            Investigations and 
            Prosecution Division II
    Associate Special Counsel for                 Cary P. Sklar
            Investigations and 
            Prosecution Division III
    Associate Special Counsel for                 Leonard M. Dribinsky
            Complaints and Disclosure 
            Analysis
    Associate Special Counsel for Legal           Erin M. McDonnell
            Counsel and Policy Division
Director, Congressional and Public Affairs        Jane McFarland

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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, enlarged its functions and powers. Pursuant to 
provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (5

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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 to do the following:
    --receive and investigate allegations of prohibited personnel 
practices and other activities prohibited by civil service law, rule, or 
regulation and, if warranted, initiating corrective or disciplinary 
action;
    --provide 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
    --enforce the provisions of the Hatch Act.

 Sources of Information

Field offices are located in Dallas, TX (525 Griffin Street, Rm 824, Box 
103, Dallas, TX, 75202; phone, 214-767-8871; fax, 214-767-2764) and 
Oakland, CA (Suite 365S, 1301 Clay Street, 94612-5217; phone, 510-637-
3460; fax, 510-637-3474).

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). Fax, 202-653-5151. Internet, www.osc.gov.

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