2025 Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award: Tom Devine

First awarded to Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson in 2003, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE's) Sentinel Award bears the inscription "For Choosing Truth Over Self." Each year, this honor is given to an individual who has courageously exposed wrongdoing in business or government, often at great personal and professional risk. Recipients exemplify unwavering integrity and serve as a beacon for transparency, accountability and ethical leadership.

The ACFE is proud to present the 2025 Sentinel Award to Tom Devine, legal director at the Government Accountability Project. For more than four decades, Devine has been an advocate for whistleblowers. Since joining the organization in 1979, Devine has formally or informally assisted more than 8,000 whistleblowers, helping them navigate legal challenges and defend themselves against retaliation.

His efforts have directly contributed to the passage or protection of 38 national and international whistleblower laws, including nearly every significant whistleblower statute enacted by the U.S. federal government in the last 20 years. These include the landmark Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, 17 major U.S. laws since 2002, and the European Union Whistleblower Directive, which extended free speech protections across the E.U.

Often referred to as the “Ambassador of Whistleblowing,” Devine has brought this advocacy to 36 countries, leading global efforts to institutionalize protections for whistleblowers. His work has also resulted in many important public safety initiatives: helping shutter hazardous nuclear power plants, preserving government meat inspection standards, implementing nationwide milk testing for illegal drugs and removing dangerous pharmaceuticals from the market.

Tom Devine’s tireless pursuit of justice and his commitment to protecting whistleblowers embody the essence of the Sentinel Award. His legacy affirms the power of truth, and the people brave enough to defend it.

This year’s Sentinel Award will be presented at the 36th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, June 22–27, 2025.