In a recent case, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. v. Somers, decided on February 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that the Dodd-Frank Act – passed in 2010 in the wake of the financial crisis – only protects whistleblowers from retaliation if they report violations of securities laws to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

On December 5, 2016, Congress enacted S. 795, which permanently extends legal protections to employees of federal contractors, subcontractors, grantees, and others employed by entities that receive federal funds who report waste, fraud, or abuse involving federal funds.