Part 2

In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner continues her interview with former FBI counterintelligence agent Jonathan Buma. Buma became a whistleblower after seeing what he calls a serious breakdown of integrity inside the Bureau, even though its motto is “fidelity, bravery, integrity.”

Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

Part 1

In this episode of Whistleblower of the Week, host Jane Turner talks with former FBI counterintelligence agent Jonathan Buma. Buma became a whistleblower after seeing what he calls a serious breakdown of integrity inside the Bureau, even though its motto is “fidelity, bravery, integrity.”

Buma says he tried to hold security briefings to warn that the president’s personal attorney had been compromised, and to let the attorney know the Bureau was watching the threat. However, FBI leaders would not reach out to any high-level people involved. Buma says managers were afraid of looking politically biased, interfering in politics, or breaking constitutional rules. He believes this hesitation let Russia take advantage of weaknesses and led to what he calls “the greatest counterintelligence failure in history.”

Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!

In this second part of Whistleblower of the Week, host and former FBI agent Jane Turner continues her conversation with NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake, diving deeper into the aftermath of his disclosures and the personal cost of exposing secret surveillance programs.

Drake explains how, after raising concerns through official channels, he was met with retaliation, isolation, and escalating pressure from within the intelligence community. As the government built a criminal case against him, he faced a 2010 Espionage Act indictment that threatened decades in prison. Drake details the emotional toll of the investigation, the raid on his home, and the collapse of the case when all felony charges were ultimately dropped.

Despite losing his job, pension, and financial security, Drake reflects on why he remained committed to telling the truth—and why defending the Constitution mattered more than the consequences. Part 2 explores the broader implications of his ordeal, the dangers of unchecked surveillance, and the importance of whistleblowers in a democracy.

Listen now on WNN, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Remember to subscribe on your favorite platform!

Listen to the podcast on WNN or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!