45-12-214. Knowing failure of cooperation; protection for individuals making disclosures.

The knowing failure of any official, officer, or employee to comply with an investigation made pursuant to this article or the knowing provision of false information during an investigation may be cause for discipline, up to and including termination by the agency, so long as such official, officer, or employee is subject to termination or other discipline by such agency.#

No agency, officer, or official shall take action against an official, officer, or employee for disclosing or threatening to disclose the existence of any activity constituting waste, fraud, abuse, or corruption to the inspector general, unless the disclosure or threatened disclosure was made with knowledge that the disclosure was false or was made with willful disregard for its truth or falsity.#

Any report disclosed by the office pursuant to Code Section 50-18-70, et seq., or otherwise may differ from the complete written report in that the inspector general shall have the discretion to redact or otherwise protect the names of complainants and witnesses, or other facts that, if not redacted, might compromise the identity of a complainant or witness.#