Are ordinary Americans given protection by the state for revealing damning information about government officials involved in corruption?
A [Tom Susman]: We do not have an “Official Secrets” act in the United States. Plus, we have protections in our laws for “whistleblowers” — persons who reveal government corruption. The media every day carry stories about government activities — from NSA massive wiretaps to CIA foreign secret prisons — and there is no retaliation when this information gets out. That does not mean confidential information should not be safeguarded; just that too much is usually classified and too easily gets leaked. Q [Kampala 12]: Anthony Rwahwire: In a fair context information is a right. But this may be possible in democratically developed countries; information is made difficult to access in developing countries because of lack of transparency some times for security reasons. Please how do you make it easier in the United States of America for the public to access vital information? A [Tom Susman]: The most important first step in ensuring access to vital information is a strong, enforceable law
