Michael DeKort

Michael DeKort was an American engineering project manager at Lockheed Martin who posted a whistleblowing video on YouTube about the Lockheed Integrated Deepwater System Program.[2][3]

Michael J. DeKort
Michael Dekort at the Carl Barus Award presentation with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; and at right Ms. Janet Rochester, President of IEEE-SSIT.
Nationality United States
Citizenship United States
OccupationEngineering project manager
Years active1992-2006[1]
EmployerLockheed Martin
Known forWhistleblowing video on Youtube.com about the Lockheed Integrated Deepwater System Program

Career

DeKort began working as an engineer at Lockheed Martin in 1994. He was working as a lead system engineer in 2003 when he noticed that the equipment Lockheed Martin was installing in U.S. Coast Guard vessels as part of the Deepwater program was faulty. According to DeKort, he alerted the CEO and Board of Directors of Lockheed Martin, but was ignored and removed from his position as project manager.[4] DeKort then reported the equipment problems to the Department of Homeland Security. DeKort felt that the Coast Guard was failing to cooperate adequately with the DHS. His attempts to alert The Washington Post and the Associated Press were unsuccessful.[5] DeKort released a YouTube video on August 3, 2006, detailing the problems with the Deepwater program.[6] The same year, DeKort was laid off from Lockheed Martin. He filed a whistleblower's lawsuit against Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.[7] The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2010.[8]

In 2008, DeKort was awarded the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers–Society on Social Implications of Technology public service award, as well as the Barus Ethics Award from the IEEE for his efforts to ensure accountability and whistleblowing video.[9] The Barus award was presented by U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings.[10]

In April 2013, DeKort was featured in the documentary, War on Whistleblowers.[11]

References
  1. ""Deepwater" Whistleblower Michael J. DeKort's Last Minute Settlement with Lockheed Martin Approved by U.S. District Court". Business Wire. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  2. "Original-See other copy if this version is frozen". YouTube. 2006-08-03. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
  3. Witte, Griff (29 August 2006). "On YouTube, Charges of Security Flaws". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  4. Helvarg, David (2009). Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes. MacMillan. p. 252. ISBN 9781429989534.
  5. Helvarg, David (2009). Rescue Warriors: The U.S. Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes. MacMillan. p. 250. ISBN 9781429989534.
  6. Original-See other copy if this version is frozen. YouTube. 3 August 2006. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  7. Baumann, Nick (July 29, 2009). "Coast Guard: Still in Deep Water?". Mother Jones.
  8. Lipowicz, Alice (2010-12-02). "Deepwater False Claims agreement reached between Lockheed Martin and whistle-blower". Washington Technology. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  9. Axe, David (January 30, 2008). "LockMart Whistleblower: Vindicated!". Wired.
  10. "Barus Award for Outstanding Service in the Public Interest", Retrieved on September 1, 2015.
  11. "About Whistleblowers". Brave New Films. Retrieved 2015-08-25.


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