Long ordeal for Seattle worker who exposed veteran's fraud
Posted June 06, 2016 7:00 am
SEATTLE (AP) - A federal worker in Seattle helped expose a case of fraud in which an Army veteran lied his way to a Purple Heart and hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits.
Her reward?
The agency she worked for repeatedly tried to punish her for what it said were violations of the man's privacy. U.S. Commerce Department employee C.J. Jackson says she's spent $20,000 on legal fees to fight off the discipline.
The department did not respond to requests from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Prosecutors say Jackson's willingness to come forward was crucial in uncovering the truth.
In this photo taken May 12, 2016, Commerce Department employee C.J. Jackson poses for a photo in Seattle. Jackson, a federal employee who helped expose a fraud in which an Army veteran lied his way to a Purple Heart and hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits, was punished for supposedly violating the man's privacy. Jackson says she's spent $20,000 on legal fees to fight off the discipline. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
In this photo taken May 12, 2016, Commerce Department employee C.J. Jackson poses for a photo in Seattle. Jackson, a federal employee who helped expose a fraud in which an Army veteran lied his way to a Purple Heart and hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits, was punished for supposedly violating the man's privacy. Jackson says she's spent $20,000 on legal fees to fight off the discipline. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press