The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency that protects federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially retaliation against whistleblowers. It provides a safe channel for disclosing government waste, fraud, and abuse, and it enforces the Hatch Act (limits on partisan political activity by federal workers) and the reemployment rights of returning service members under USERRA. It can seek corrective and disciplinary action before the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Created by Congress under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (OSC made an independent agency by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989) (Pub. L. 95-454; Pub. L. 101-12; codified at 5 U.S.C. ch. 12, subch. II (5 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.)), it acts within the authority that statute grants. Its actions are subject to judicial review and to congressional oversight and funding.
