Meeting the Trump Challenge

The election of Donald J. Trump as President puts federal employees administering and enforcing environmental and public health protections squarely on the front lines of a battle – a battle they did not choose.

For nearly a quarter century, PEER has protected conscientious public servants while combatting politicized attacks on our environment, and now we're gearing up for the work ahead. With Donald Trump on track to appoint climate change deniers, oil executives, and champions of the pesticide and chemical industries to head our nation's environmental protection and natural resource agencies, we have already heard from employees worried and uncertain about their jobs and the important work they are doing. Rest assured that we'll be working with them and many others in the coming years to safeguard the environment, and to protect the public employees themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

As a service organization, PEER offers public employees several forms of assistance, including:

• Free legal consultation within 24 hours of contacting PEER. We also provide online legal resources, such as breakdowns of whistleblower laws and how they work as well as legal options available to scientists and other technical specialists facing obstruction or attack.
• "Pen-Pal Privileges" through which PEER attorneys – in PEER's name, but with a public employee's guidance – file document requests, submit comments, or pursue administrative complaints or lawsuits. PEER depends upon the activism and involvement of public employees to accomplish our mission.
• Advocacy and media campaigns through which PEER acts as a megaphone to broadcast public events occurring otherwise behind closed doors.

Of course, all communication with PEER is confidential. The public employees working on environmental and public health matters are the paramount resource of concern to PEER. And we do not charge for our services; we can only do it with your support.

At this pivotal moment in our nation's history, when Congress and the Executive Branch could seriously set back environmental progress, it is our public servants who are truly in the best position to make a real difference by uncovering and stopping illegal or indefensible rollbacks and subversions. They are our last line of defense.

PEER is uniquely positioned to help them, and we will.

Thank you for your support.

Jeff Ruch, Executive Director