Sacrificing Life and Liberty for Truth
Whistleblowers have intrigued and fascinated American culture for decades. This exclusive membership consists of a rare group of people who are somehow loved and hated simultaneously. The acts of a whistleblower often bring change and deliver justice. However, in doing so, many whistleblowers face extreme scrutiny and immense sacrifice. They pay dearly and are never the same. The life they knew before is gone and, in most cases, can never be rekindled.
Here are just a few people who have sacrificed life and liberty to expose the truth.
Jeffrey Wigand
Jeffrey Wigand is a former tobacco executive who blew the whistle on the country’s third-largest tobacco company Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. As the Head of Research and Development, Wigand witnessed first-hand how Brown & Williamson misled consumers about the highly addictive nature of nicotine. He was further witness to how the company ignored research indicating that some of the additives used to improve flavor caused cancer and how it encoded and hid documents that could have been used against the company in lawsuits brought on by sick or dying smokers. The pinnacle moment of Wigand’s case came when he appeared on the popular TV news show, 60 Minutes outlining his knowledge of the lengths Brown & Williamson went to suppress information about nicotine and its relationship to causing cancer. For exposing Brown & Williamson, Wigand lost everything. He faced countless lawsuits, countersuits, and endured a relentless smear campaign orchestrated by Brown & Williamson. Wigand lost his family, his privacy, and his reputation. Wigand was alone for many years.
Victor Carlström
Victor Carlström was a finance prodigy from Sweden with first-name-basis relationships with the world’s top banks and elite clientele. At the height of his career, he signed a partnership deal with Folksam – among the most prominent financial companies in Sweden. Soon after, he was shown what happens behind the C-suite veil and was encouraged by executives to allegedly steal, defraud, and line the pockets of banking executives. Bothered by this request, he declined and took his concerns to the CEO of Swedbank, Jens Henriksson, and was immediately blacklisted. His professional responsibilities were terminated. Before long, Henriksson severed the relationship with Carlström, allegedly stole his clients, allegedly smeared his name, and allegedly stole millions in fully earned commission. Carlström fled to the United States, where he is currently seeking asylum, and has suffered numerous threats and attempts on his life. He has filed a $4.2 billion lawsuit versus the powerful Swedish banks, government and business officials claiming this to be the biggest money-laundering scheme in history. Today, Victor has lost everything: his wife, family, money, future and is continuously moving from place to place to avoid further attempts to silence him through death.
Linda Tripp
The late Linda Tripp was the whistleblower in President Clinton, Monica Lewinsky scandal of the late 1990s. Lewinsky had revealed her relationship with then-President Clinton to Tripp, and she began secretly recording conversations with Lewinsky and chronicling the events of the relationship. Tripp released those recordings which directly contradicted sworn depositions by President Clinton adamantly denying the involvement and accusations. The recorded tapes launched Clinton’s impeachment hearings and trial on multiple counts of perjury and abuse of power. Because Tripp was a Republican, she faced fierce political backlash. She was personally attacked, vilified, ridiculed and publicly humiliated by mainstream media, many members of the democratic party, and even then, First Lady, Hillary Clinton. She passed away this year.
Boris Dzhingarov graduated UNWE with a major in marketing. He is the founder of ESBO ltd a brand mentioning company. He is also passionate about meditation and healthy living. You can find articles on such topics at his spiritual blog Dzhingarov.com.