John Crane (government official)
John R. Crane | |
|---|---|
| Education | Northwestern University Georgetown University |
| Occupation(s) | Pentagon executive, consultant |
| Employer(s) | U.S. Congress Defense Dept Inspector General Government Accountability Project |
| Known for | Support for government whistleblowers |
| Relatives | Günther Rüdel (grandfather) |
| Awards | Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage |
John Crane is a former Assistant Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense known for his advocacy on behalf of government whistleblowers. He was fired in 2013 and now works for the Government Accountability Project, a non-governmental whistleblower support organization.
Career
Crane graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor's degree in Asian studies in 1980. He then studied at the Arabic Language Unit of the American University in Cairo from 1980-82.[citation needed]
Crane worked as press secretary for Republican Congressman Bill Dickinson, ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, from 1985-87. Dickinson advocated establishing an Office of the Inspector General in the Defense Department.[1] When that office was created in 1982, Crane became one of its first employees, helping to set up the hotlines for whistleblowers to report waste, fraud, or abuse. He had the text of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 printed up as pamphlets for the personnel in the IG's office to refer to in carrying out their responsibilities.[1] Crane's work also included crafting committee press releases involving analysis of the National Defense Authorization Act and consequences for national defense policy.[citation needed]
In 1987, Crane became Legislative Director and Press Secretary for Silicon Valley Congressman Ernie Konnyu, where he did supervisory work on formulating legislative policy agenda and communications thereof.[citation needed]
By 1988, Crane moved to the Defense Department's Inspector General office as a Congressional Liaison. He represented the IG on congressional activities and legislation as well as in contacts on legislative and public affairs with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In 1994 Crane was promoted to Director of the Office of Communication in the IG. He managed public affairs efforts including public statements and congressional testimonies regarding US activities in Southwest Asia. He was promoted to a high-level executive position, the Assistant Inspector General for Communications, in 2004. He administered change management and communication policy for Europe, Southwest Asia, and East Asia. He also performed strategic planning and was Principal Advisor to the IG. He was responsible for whistleblowing and transparency, including strategic (internal) and public affairs communications that included responses regarding the Freedom of Information (FOIA) and Privacy Acts. Crane reviewed legislation and advised on legislative changes. He was fired from his post as an assistant inspector general in February 2013, an action he claims came in response to his advocacy on behalf of whistleblowers who faced illegal reprisal from his superiors in the IG and from other areas of the executive branch.[citation needed]
In October 2013, Crane joined the Government Accountability Project (GAP) as a consultant on legislative impact analysis. At GAP, he works with whistleblowers related to national security and on legislative, FOIA, and Privacy Act impacts.[citation needed]
Crane earned an Executive Master's in leadership from Georgetown University in 2015.[citation needed]
Whistleblower program official becomes whistleblower
Edward Snowden went to the press with revelations about the NSA due to the experience of previous whistleblowers, such as Thomas Andrews Drake, William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe, Ed Loomis, and Diane Roark, who initially reported their concerns within the system and faced intense retaliation.[2]
After making his concerns about mistreatment of whistleblowers known to his superiors, Crane was removed from his position in 2013.[1] He was a recipient of the 2015 Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage.[3] He is a major focus of investigative journalist Mark Hertsgaard's book, Bravehearts: Whistle-blowing in the Age of Snowden.[4]
Personal life and family
His grandfather, Günther Rüdel, stepped in the way of Adolf Hitler, who was pointing a gun at a friend during the Beer Hall Putsch, his failed coup d'état against the Weimar Republic in 1923, defusing the situation as he exclaimed: "Mr. Hitler, you will never liberate Germany like this." Rüdel was listed as a witness in Hitler's trial for treason but Rüdel was not called to testify.[5][1][6]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Hertsgaard, Mark; Felix Kasten; Marcel Rosenbach; Holger Stark (May 22, 2016). "Blowing the Whistle: Former US Official Reveals Risks Faced by Internal Critics". Spiegel Online International., a translation of the German article in Der Spiegel No. 21/2016 (May 21, 2016).
- ^ Goodman, Amy (May 23, 2016). "Source Reveals How Pentagon Ruined Whistleblower's Life and Set Stage for Snowden's Leaks". Democracy Now!. New York City. Pacifica Radio.
- ^ "Former Defense Department Assistant IG Receives Joe A. Callaway Award for Civil Courage". The Whistleblogger. Government Accountability Project. September 30, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- ^ Hertsgaard, Mark (2016). Bravehearts: Whistle-blowing in the Age of Snowden. New York: Hot Books. ISBN 978-1510703377.
- ^ Goodman, Amy (May 23, 2016). "Pentagon Whistleblower John Crane: "I Was Inspired by My Grandfather's Stand Against Hitler"". Democracy Now!. New York City. Pacifica Radio.
- ^ Hertsgaard, Mark (May 22, 2016). "How the Pentagon Punished NSA Whistleblowers". The Guardian. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
Bibliography
- Goodman, Amy (May 23, 2016). "Pentagon Whistleblower's Disclosures Put a Lie to Obama, Clinton Claims About Snowden". Democracy Now!. New York City. Pacifica Radio.
- Clark, Charles S. (May 23, 2016). "Fired Pentagon Whistleblower Goes Public in Attack on IG's Office". Government Executive. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
External links
- John Crane at IMDb
- Snowden calls for whistleblower shield after claims by new Pentagon source (Spencer Ackerman and Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian)
- Future of national security whistleblowing at stake in US inquiry (Ewen MacAskill and Spencer Ackerman, The Guardian)