Lt. Col Timothy Ferner – In His Own Words

Lt Col Ferner retired early from the Air Force in 2010 and now lives on a farm in New Zealand, his wife’s home country.  We interviewed him via Skype to provide you with his insights on being a whistleblower.  Watch the video below to learn more about his experience with the James Hoyer whistleblower law firm.

A Rare Breed

Retired Air Force Lt Col Timothy Ferner is a rare breed.  He is one of the few military officers to come forward as a military whistleblower, putting his career on the line, to expose waste and abuse. His successful case gives hope to many other military officers and enlisted men and women who’ve tried to report concerns through the chain of command, only to be ostracized and retaliated against for trying to do the right thing.
As the result of a qui tam lawsuit filed by Lt Col Ferner, major defense contractor Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) agreed to pay the U.S. Government nearly $6 million to settle allegations that it circumvented the bidding process and induced the Air Force to award the company lucrative contracts.

Filing the case was Lt. Col. Ferner’s last resort. He tried to go through military channels to stop the fraud, waste, and abuse, but his efforts were rebuffed.  His superiors made his life difficult, even threatening to deploy him to Afghanistan while he was undergoing cancer treatment.  Ultimately, he was fired from his job as Chief of Staff for the Coalition and Irregular Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and relegated to a menial position.

The retaliation took its toll, but Lt. Col. Ferner rejected silence and would not give up.  His perseverance and refusal to be intimidated led him to the James Hoyer law firm’s whistleblower attorneys.  We were honored to represent Lt. Col. Ferner and salute his commitment to justice.

As a reward under the False Claims Act for exposing fraud against the government, Lt. Col. Ferner received a portion of the nearly $6 million settlement.

Advice to Other Whistleblowers

In the video above, Lt. Col. Ferner talks with James Hoyer Investigative Producer Angie Moreschi about his experience as a whistleblower and offers advice to other whistleblowers trying to make the decision on whether to move forward with a complaint.