Schmidt-Brown, Dorte

Danish employee of Eurostat who "blew the whistle" on financial irregularities within the organisation.

In 2001 Mrs Schmidt-Brown complained that the company Eurogramme had won contracts from Eurostat under false pretences. This revelation was ignored and she was transferred to a department that had no dealings with the company. She then wrote a series of letters to Neil Kinnock, the Commissioner in charge of administrative reform, saying she was being victimised at work for speaking out and that a "cover-up" was taking place. In January 2002, Mrs Schmidt-Brown received a reply from Mr Kinnock saying her claims were "unfounded".

In June 2003 the European Commission admitted that there was a huge amount of fraud in its statistical arm and Mrs Schmidt-Brown received a public apology from Mr Kinnock.

Notes

Mrs Schmidt-Brown is now living on an invalidity pension - a direct consequence of the psychological pressure she endured from her then bosses at Eurostat.

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