To the best of my knowledge, individuals who are not Federal employees that engage in whistleblowing do so with the very real possibility that there will be permanent professional retribution.
It's not quite that simple; many US states have a "public policy" exception to at-will employment that allows you to sue if you're terminated or constructively terminated in retaliation for whistleblowing.
To the best of my knowledge, individuals who are not Federal employees that engage in whistleblowing do so with the very real possibility that there will be permanent professional retribution.