United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-01-12 monographic deposited born digital 17 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-263R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R P0b002ee18039010a f:d07263r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R GAO-07-263R Federal employees Federal legislation Independent counsels Information disclosure Legal aid Legal rights Policy evaluation Whistleblowers Policies and procedures Correspondence A64844 The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. Its primary mission is to safeguard the merit system in federal employment by protecting employees and applicants for federal employment from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal from whistleblowing. Individuals who believe that a prohibited personnel practice, such as nepotism or obstruction of the right to compete for employment, has been committed may file complaints with OSC. In addition, the agency operates a secure channel for federal whistleblowing disclosures of violations of law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; abuse of authority; and substantial and specific dangers to public health or safety. OSC's handling of cases has been publicized in the media and concerns were raised about the assignment of two cases that involved alleged violations of the Hatch Act that OSC officials appeared to handle differently from other such cases. This report responds to the request to provide information on OSC's policies and procedures for assigning incoming cases to and within its organizational units. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R.pdf GAO-07-263R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-263R Correspondence GAO-07-263R; U.S. Office of Special Counsel's Procedures for Assigning Incoming Cases to and within Organizational Units; Federal employees Federal legislation Independent counsels Information disclosure Legal aid Legal rights Policy evaluation Whistleblowers Policies and procedures Public Law 103-94