| Her inability or unwillingness to answer many questions and her reluctance to name another federal official directly involved in the attorney-client dodge left committee members upset and incredulous. “Unfortunately, the TSA is not fulfilling their legal obligation to produce documents, frustrating OSC’s investigative efforts,” Chaffetz said. “And I can tell you with a passion on both sides of this aisle, it is not acceptable to withhold information.” Gowadia was in a tough spot. Essentially, her defense was that the bosses made her do it. When Chaffetz demanded she explain the attorney-client-privilege defense, she blamed the bureaucracy: “I have to say we follow departmental guidance. … My hands are tied by departmental policy.” Chaffetz said he wanted to see this guidance. Gowadia’s answer surprised him. Gowadia: “Sir, to … best of my knowledge, the guidance is not in writing …” Chaffetz: “So wait a second. You don’t have — you just made this up? It’s not in writing?” When he insisted on getting the name of the official preventing her from providing OSC all of the information it needs, she demurred as if that, too, were secret. Chaffetz: “Give me some names. I want to know who to call up here.” Gowadia: “The Office of General Counsel.” Chaffetz: “No, no.” Gowadia: “The general counsel to the secretary.” Chaffetz: “Give me a specific name. That’s a big office, there’s lots of attorneys, tell me the attorneys that are telling you not to provide this information to Congress, and tell me the names of the attorneys that are telling you not to provide this to the OSC. I want names.” Gowadia: “Sir, sir … I will follow up with your — with you and your staff right after this.” Chaffetz then had the TSA staffers attending the hearing — agency heads always come with a crew — raise their hands. He counted seven. “One of these seven people has got to get on the phone, get your butt up out of this committee and go get that information before this hearing’s done,” he demanded. “I want to have names.” Later in the hearing, Gowadia said she had received permission to reveal the name of Joseph Maher, the acting general counsel. After much of the testimony, Chaffetz concluded that TSA whistleblowers “know the deck is stacked against them.” Congress likes whistleblowers. And it doesn’t like it when they are victims of official reprisal, which happens much more than taxpayers realize. “Ladies and gentlemen, if we don’t stand up for whistleblowers, we don’t need to be here,” Cummings told his colleagues. “We must do everything in our power, at all times, to protect them.” Read more: Trump rule chills Energy Dept. nuclear whistleblowers Bipartisan Hill leaders warn White House on whistleblowers High court protects federal whistleblowers in case that had broad implications Fired air marshal stands his ground for whistleblowers | 