RADACK, Jesselyn

Jesselyn Radack is an American attorney who served as an ethics adviser in the Department of Justice Professional Responsibility Advisory Office until 2002, when she became a whistleblower after raising internal objections to the FBI's interrogation of American Taliban member John Walker Lindh without legal counsel present. Her concerns were initially dismissed, and she faced retaliation when she disclosed the ethical violations publicly.

Radack's case began in December 2001 when the FBI sought ethics guidance about interrogating Lindh, who had been captured in Afghanistan and whose family had retained counsel. Radack advised that further interrogation without counsel would violate ethics rules and potentially compromise any prosecution. Despite her warnings, the FBI continued questioning Lindh, and when Radack's emails documenting her advice were later sought in court proceedings, she discovered they had been removed from the departmental system.

After leaving the Justice Department, Radack provided copies of her emails to Newsweek magazine in 2002, revealing the government's ethical violations in the Lindh case. This disclosure led to an FBI investigation of Radack, placement on the No Fly List, and a referral to state bar associations for potential disciplinary action, though she was ultimately vindicated when courts ruled that her disclosures were protected whistleblowing.

Radack subsequently became the Director of National Security & Human Rights at the Government Accountability Project, where she represents intelligence community whistleblowers including Thomas Drake, John Kiriakou, and Edward Snowden. Her work has focused on defending the legal rights of national security whistleblowers and advocating for stronger legal protections against government retaliation.

As an attorney specializing in national security cases, Radack has been recognized as one of the leading advocates for intelligence community whistleblowers, helping to establish legal precedents for the protection of those who expose government misconduct. Her own experience as a government attorney who faced retaliation for ethical concerns has informed her advocacy for legal reforms to protect conscientious government employees.