[United States Government Manual]
[June 01, 2005]
[Pages 497-498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL

1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036-4505

Phone, 202-254-3600 or 800-872-9855. Fax, 202-653-5151. Internet, 
www.osc.gov.
Special Counsel                                   Scott J. Bloch
Deputy Special Counsel                            James L. Renne
    Associate Special Counsel for                 Leonard Dribinsky
            Investigation and 
            Prosecution Division
    Director of Field Operations                  William Reukauf
    Outreach Director and Counsel                 James McVay
    Associate Special Counsel for Legal           Erin M. McDonnell
            Counsel and Policy Division
Director, Congressional and Public Affairs        Cathy Deeds

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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.

[[Page 498]]

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 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 and the Uniformed Services 
Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

 Sources of Information

Field offices are located in Dallas, TX (525 Griffin Street, Room 824, 
Box 103, Dallas, TX, 75202. Phone, 214-747-1519. Fax, 214-767-2764); 
Oakland, CA (Suite 365S, 1301 Clay Street, 94612-5217. Phone, 510-637-
3460. Fax, 510-637-3474), and Detroit, MI (477 Michigan Avenue, Suite 
495, Detroit, MI 48226. Phone, 313-226-4496. Fax, 313-226-5606).

For further information, contact the Office of Special Counsel, 1730 M 
Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036-4505. Phone, 202-254-3600 or 
800-872-9855. Fax, 202-653-5151. Internet, www.osc.gov.

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