CREW praises officials who 'stood up' for America

18 Jul 2008 // Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is an organization that spends most of its time calling out attempts by powerful people to cheat the system and ignore their obligations. A report the watchdog group released this week, though, took a much more optimistic view of Washington.

CREW praised "Those Who Dared: 30 Officials Who Stood Up for Our Country" in a report recognizing individuals in government who have spoken up about abuse by their superiors.

The honorees come from across the government and includes whistleblowers who exposed some of the most egregious abuses of the Bush administration, CREW said in a press release.

Others are included for a single act of courage, such as Army Specialist Joseph Darby who turned over to authorities the now infamous pictures of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib, and former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, who rushed to Attorney General Ashcroft's hospital bedside to prevent top White House officials from pressuring the Attorney General to approve an illegal surveillance program.

"As the Bush administration draws to a close, CREW commends those who stood up against the full weight of the federal government to do the right thing, risking their livelihoods and, in some cases, even their lives," CREW executive director Melanie Sloan said. These individuals personify the American values of honesty and integrity.

Sloan continued, "Although some have already been recognized as heroes, others have been vilified for daring to say what no one else would. By publicly recognizing the courage of these people, CREW hopes others will be encouraged to join the fight against government misconduct."