226 - Michael McCray - Everybody Loves Whistleblower Stories The MAKE IT Podcast

Hello, Indie Film Creators!
In this episode, we have a conversation with Whistleblower, Author and Film Festival Founder Michael McCray. We talk about the process of becoming a Whistleblowing Filmmaker, The Clinton Administration, The ACORN 8, Daniel Ellsberg, Ralph Nader, Modern Journalism, Frank Serpico, Chinese Twitter Bots, Jamal Khashoggi. Facebook, Edward Snowden, and much more. Enjoy! 
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More About Michael McCray, Esq.
 
In 1995, Michael McCray blew the whistle on $40 million in waste, fraud and abuse at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Clinton Administration. As a result, he became a leading public interest advocate for civil and human rights, including free speech and whistleblower protections. McCray is a 2007 recipient of the "No FEAR Award" in Washington, DC. In addition, he received statewide recognition for outstanding work in peace and social justice in Arkansas. The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology honored him as an ARKANSAS PEACE & JUSTICE HERO in 2008. Most recently, McCray is a 2021 recipient of the Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award Recipient for his advocacy with the ACORN 8 from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
A former national board delegate for Georgia ACORN, McCray was the spokesman for the ACORN 8, the national board members that blew the whistle on a multi-million dollar embezzlement at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). His breakthrough book RACE, POWER & POLITICS—Memoirs of an ACORN Whistleblower tells the inside story of ACORN. An author, speaker, and public interest advocate, McCray has made numerous media (radio and television) appearances including CNN (Lou Dobbs Tonight) and FOX News (Glenn Beck Show). 
 
A highly sought-after public speaker, McCray makes memorable contributions to conferences, events, and conventions that welcome his "tell-it-like-it-is" storytelling style and audience engagement. He combines Fortune 500 corporate experience and public interest advocacy by speaking on motivational topics including whistleblower protection, business ethics, and corporate integrity.
 
McCray co-founded the International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW) and served as General Counsel for the Federally Employed Women Legal Education Fund (FEW-LEF), which champions equal employment opportunity. In addition, he is a member of the No FEAR Coalition, which promotes and supported the passage of the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR) of 2002—the first civil rights law of the 21st Century. McCray is also the co-founder of the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival, an annual conference on Capitol Hill. The Whistleblower Summit is the largest gathering of whistleblowers and won a “Best Festival” Award for innovation in Arts, Culture, and Film at Fest Forums (Santa Barbra) in 2019.
An alumnus of Georgetown Law, Howard University, American University, and Florida A&M University, McCray has a diverse educational and professional background, including Fortune 500 Corporate experience in marketing at Johnson & Johnson, Personal Products Company, accounting at Honeywell Information Systems, and investment banking at SunTrust Bank. However, McCray pursued his passion for public service and community economic development when he worked for the Federal Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC) Program, a White House Economic Development Initiative for the Clinton Administration. He continued his desire for community empowerment by working for various community and faith-based development organizations, including T.D.