For Case Study #3 you will explore the issue of when, if ever,“whistle blower” like concerns would justify the unauthorized release of information, using the case of Thomas Drake. Research several sources to provide a balanced point of departure for your own analysis. Former DIRNSA/PDDNI/DCIA Hayden discussed the larger underlying issue of privacy vs security in a Mar 19, 2015 column in the Washington Times.(see http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/18/michael–hayden–a–reasonable–view–of–privacy–securi/). Notes on the controversial collection are on the HPSCI web site at:
http://intelligence.house.gov/sites/intelligence.house.gov/files/documents/Myth%20vs%20Fact%20FISA.pdf. However, you will also be considering another aspect; the ethics of the specific decisions and actions of Drake and perhaps his prosecutors. As an addition to the paper, append an annotated bibliography very briefly evaluating the sources you do use (your listing and evaluation is not included in the page count).
Thomas Drake was a senior National Security Agency executive who complained to his management, then Congress, and finally the press about waste and mismanagement on a major modernization system, Trailblazer. He was investigated and prosecuted.
In your research on the case consider the following questions:
Was Drake a whistle blower under the definition of the law, or was he a disgruntled employee?
Upon what ethical principle did he base his decision and was it valid?
How did Drake justify revealing to Congress what he knew?
How did Drake justify going to the press? How valid was his justification?
Did the Executive Branch manage this affair well? If not, what were the management or oversight failures?
What lessons learned should managers take from this case?
