Trump Violated Whistleblower Protections With Reprisal Against Yevgeny Vindman, Pentagon Watchdog Reports

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The Inspector General of the Department of Defense released a report on Wednesday finding that the Trump administration had violated the statute protecting whistleblowers by retaliating against Col. Yevgeny Vindman who raised concerns about Donald Trump’s interactions with Ukrainian officials.

Vindman filed a complaint almost two years ago alleging that top Trump administration officials, including former President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, abused their offices by ensuring Vindman suffered “marginalization and isolation” while remaining on the National Security Council.

Vindman’s twin brother, Alexander, became a household name when he testified in 2019 at Trump’s first impeachment trial regarding Trump’s pressure campaign to extort Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for damaging information on Joe Biden – Trump’s likely 2020 electoral opponent.

The Pentagon watchdog concluded that Vindman “was the subject of unfavorable personnel actions from administration officials.”

“Based on a preponderance of the evidence, we conclude that it is more likely than not that the Complainant was the subject of unfavorable personnel actions and that these were in reprisal for his protected communications in violation of 10U.S.C. § 1034,” the report noted.

Whistleblowers are legally protected against retaliation under the law cited in the report, which the Pentagon accuses the Trump administration of violating.

The report does not refer any officials for prosecution or disciplinary action, however. “We make no recommendation with respect to the Complainant, who has been promoted to the rank of Colonel and whose performance record has been corrected,” the report says and notes that all those involved have already “departed their positions in the White House.”