Whistleblowers are not required to provide evidence to support their claims, but doing so can strengthen their case. If the company did indeed engage in fraudulent behavior, providing evidence can help demonstrate that your employer may be motivated to retaliate against you in order to cover up their wrongdoing.

Jane Turner, a former FBI whistleblower, is a prime example of this. She was able to prove her allegations were true, despite the retaliation she faced from her employer.

In cases where false claims are made, employees can shift their focus from proving employment discrimination to proving fraudulent activity. This can potentially result in a monetary award. To better understand this, it’s recommended to read Rule 35, which outlines how proving fraud can lead to a successful case and a significant financial reward.

• Khandelwal v. Southern Cal. Ed., 97-ERA-6 (ARB, Mar. 31, 1998)

The case record for the Jane Turner case is found at:

• Turner v. Gonzales, 421 F.3d 688 (8th Cir. 2005)
• Case file in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (Minneapolis Division)
• Dan Browning, “Ex-Agent Wins Lawsuit Against FBI,” Minneapolis Star Tribune (Feb. 5, 2007)
• Tad Vezner, “Former FBI Agent Wins Suit,” Pioneer Press (Feb. 6, 2007)