-
Radack, Drake Win Hugh Hefner First Amendment Award
I am very pleased and proud that my attorney, Jesslyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project, and my friend and colleague Tom Drake, NSA Whistleblower, are the winners of this year’s Hugh M. Hefner Foundation First Amendment Awards. Radack and Drake are being acknowledged for their critical work exposing national security hypocrisy and abuses.
The Hefner Foundation has given out the First Amendment Awards since 1980, honoring those who have made contributions to the protections afforded under the First Amendment. Radack and Drake join an impressive rank of winners, including the likes of Walter Karp, Studs Terkel, Cecile Richards, Michael Moore, John Seigenthaler, Bill Maher, and Molly Ivins.
Tom Drake blew the whistle on fraud, waste and abuse within the NSA and was rewarded by being prosecuted under the Espionage Act, a tactic the Obama administration has now used six times against intelligence whistleblowers, more than all previous administrations combined. Radack, herself a Department of Justice whistleblower, represented Drake and played a vital role in winning his case in the court of public opinion.
My congratulations to Jesslyn and Tom on the award, and here’s hoping that Jess soon adds a victory for free speech over the State Department in my own case to her impressive resume.
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are solely those of the author(s) in their private capacity.
Recent Comments
Leave A Comment
Buy Peter’s Books on Amazon!
Frederick Fellow said...
1Oooooh. That would explain NSA being listed as “Agency of the Month” at Federal News Radio. I think we can assume that Drake is the inspiration for this angelic halo effect even though NSA will not acknowledge his patriotism. The HR director says NSA wants to hire more “critical thinkers.” Really? You mean like Thomas Drake? They want critical thinkers who will track and hunt the enemy as long as they don’t end up becoming the enemy by asking too many questions. Questions can be dangerous. Link is here: http://www.federalnewsradio.com//921/2890348/NSA-hiring-reforms-serve-as-model-for-government
06/6/12 4:10 PM | Comment Link
Radack, Drake Win Hugh Hefner First Amendment Award | We Meant Well – Peter Van Buren | Award Watcher said...
2[…] I am very pleased and proud that my attorney, Jesslyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project, and my friend and colleague Tom Drake, NSA Whistleblower, are the winners of this year’s Hugh M. Hefner Foundation First Amendment Awards. Radack and Drake are being acknowledged for their critical work exposing… (View original article) […]
06/9/12 3:50 AM | Comment Link