Third Time''s a Charm? Senators Revive Legislation to Protect Whistleblowers in Criminal Antitrust Cases

U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) recently reintroduced legislation to extend whistleblower protections to employees who provide information to the Department of Justice related to criminal antitrust violations.  If passed, the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act of 2015 (CAARA) would protect employees who report such violations from retaliation (such as discharge, demotion, suspension, threats, and harassment), allow them to file retaliation complaints with the Secretary of Labor, and potentially entitle whistleblowers to reinstatement, back pay, and/or reimbursement for their litigation expenses if the Secretary finds in their favor.  This marks the Senators’ third attempt to pass CAARA: the two first introduced the bill in July 2012 (the bill died in the Senate Judiciary Committee without a vote), and again in January 2013 (bill unanimously passed by Senate but not passed by House).