Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778
| Long title | That it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other the inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge. |
|---|---|
| Effective | July 30, 1778 |
| Legislative history | |
| |
The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778 was an Act of Congress passed by the Second Continental Congress and signed into law by President of the Continental Congress Henry Laurens in 1778. It was the first piece of legislation concerning whistleblower protection in the United States passed by Congress. The act was created as a result of Continental Navy officer Esek Hopkins being reported on by fellow officers for torturing British prisoners of war. Congressional politicians, aware of the burdens the act placed on American civil servants, included in the act a provision for legal expenses in the event that whistleblowers were the subject of legal proceedings. Laurens signed the act into law in York, Pennsylvania on July 30, 1778.