BFF Fellow Marcus Thornton joins the Ben Franklin Fellowship Junto Podcast to discuss his experience challenging federal COVID vaccine mandates, the creation of Feds for Freedom, whistleblower protections, and the culture of institutional accountability inside the U.S. State Department.

Marcus Thornton is a career Foreign Service Officer, former Senior Advisor on the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, and former Chief of Staff at USAID.

Thornton shares firsthand details about litigation that reached the Supreme Court, allegations of retaliation within the Foreign Service, and proposals for reforming the diplomatic corps and federal hiring systems.

Topics include: • COVID mandate litigation for federal employees • Whistleblower protections and retaliation • Foreign Service culture and institutional reform • State Departm ...