POGOBlog

A new government report on human trafficking omits the names of companies accused of abusive labor practices. Some sleuthing uncovered the identity of two companies: both are U.S. defense contrac...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/pogo-identifies-defense-contractors-recently-sanctioned-for-human-trafficking-abuses.html

Executive agencies regularly use their classification powers to avoid oversight or accountability for embarrassing or unlawful conduct. Congress needs to create enforceable protections against us...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/weaponization-of-security-clearances-is-unacceptable-whether-cia-directors-are-the-victims-or-perpetrators.html

A new Federal Emergency Management Agency report describes many “lessons learned” from last summer’s major natural disasters. However, FEMA and the nation are not yet adequately prepared fo...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/passing-grade-lessons-learned-from-the-2017-disasters.html

New data suggests that the Justice Department’s focus on misdemeanor prosecutions under “zero tolerance” has led to a dramatic decrease in prosecutions of serious crimes like drug trafficki...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/as-zero-tolerance-cases-skyrocket-other-prosecutions-slow.html

New articles by Federal News Radio and Government Executive raise issues worthy of examination regarding the inspector general community, issues that are also addressed by POGO’s recent report ...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/rating-the-watchdogs-are-our-inspectors-general-effective.html

After repeated contractor misconduct in past contracts, the U.S. Army deliberates over who to award the latest worldwide warfighters-support contract to.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/army-carefully-considering-next-worldwide-logistics-contractors.html

Nearly three months after the Trump administration’s family separation policy began and over one month after a public outcry led to its end, Congress finally held its first hearing on the subje...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/just-following-orders-overdue-oversight-and-unanswered-questions-on-family-separation.html

TSA documents describe a program that allows sky marshals to secretly monitor behavior of unsuspecting airplane passengers who have done nothing wrong.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/paper-cuts-thunderbolt-of-journalism-reveals-tsa-quiet-skies-surveillance-program.html

The Pentagon is still suffering the consequences of hiring Efraim Diveroli, the Miami Beach military supplier whose exploits landed him in prison and inspired the film War Dogs. He recently won a...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/bad-contracting-decision-comes-back-to-haunt-pentagon.html

A new GAO report confirms POGO’s fears that the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protections lacks adequate independence.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/08/new-report-confirms-whistleblower-retaliation-is-alive-and-well-department-of-veterans-affairs.html

Americans are dangerously vulnerable to unchecked FISA surveillance, but the discussion of the Carter Page warrant misses the real problem.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/explaining-secret-surveillance.html

The Justice Department’s charging documents on Russian election interference read like a real-life spy novel.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/paper-cuts-from-russia-with-love.html

Racial discrimination in jury selection threatens the criminal justice system and the integrity and application of the Constitution. In one case, North Carolina seeks to ignore it.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/racial-discrimination-in-the-courts-the-case-of-marcus-robinson.html

Last week, a former contractor pleaded guilty to falsifying federal security clearance investigations—the twenty-seventh such conviction in 10 years.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/27-and-counting-another-background-check-dumper-pleads-guilty.html

POGO is calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to begin an investigation into the crisis of immigration enforcement and detention along our nation’s southwest border.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/zero-tolerance-and-border-crisis-need-congressional-oversight.html

Members of Congress expressing disapproval of President Trump’s comments in Helsinki about Russian election interference can and should also conduct oversight of eight issue areas relating to f...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/pogos-suggestions-to-congress-oversight-to-counter-foreign-interference.html

The deal would make Sinclair an unparalleled local-television behemoth.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/fcc-chairman-throws-wrench-proposed-sinclair-tribune-merger.html

Baby-food makers latch on to breastfeeding policy to sell formula.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/paper-cuts-no-match-for-mothers-milk.html

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce lately seems to have softened its longstanding opposition to the False Claims Act and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the federal government’s most powerful tool...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/chamber-music-corporations-attain-harmony-with-federal-corruption-laws.html

The Supreme Court’s Carpenter decision greatly expanded location privacy rights, but serious problems remain. Congress should act swiftly to enact a warrant requirement for real-time cellphone ...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/07/privacy-after-carpenter-we-need-warrants-for-real-time-tracking-and-electronic-exhaustion.html

ICE inspections of detention centers are ineffective and infrequent, and “certain deficiencies remain unaddressed for years.”

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/ice-detention-center-inspections-repeatedly-fall-short.html

The Supreme Court's decision in Carpenter v. United States will create significant privacy protections, and lays the foundation for how the Fourth Amendment will function in the digital age. Howe...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/the-carpenter-decision-a-huge-step-forward-for-privacy-rights-but-major-problems-remain.html

Splits get all the attention, but consensus is the rule, and that's how it should be.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/those-5-to-4-decisions-on-the-supreme-court-9-0-is-far-more-common.html

As the government tries to undo the damage from its zero tolerance policy, parents in custody wait and wonder how to contact their kids.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/paper-cuts-how-can-i-contact-my-daughter.html

Zero-tolerance prosecutions on the southwest border are undermining key constitutional protections.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/frequently-asked-questions-criminal-prosecutions-on-the-border.html

New York State’s two-year investigation into Trump Foundation financial abuses was referred to IRS.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/paper-cuts-trump-foundation-charity-begins-at-home.html

Elizabeth Warren and others spoke at a recent Coalition for Sensible Safeguards event on the Trump Administration’s deregulation policies and the impact they have on health and finances.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/symposium-clear-regulations-protect-freedom-not-restrict-it.html

House Republicans and Democrats sent President Trump separate letters condemning recent executive orders that weaken civil service protection laws and put a bullseye on the backs of whistleblower...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/house-members-stand-up-to-bad-executive-orders-stand-up-for-federal-workers.html

The plain fact is that OLC, responsive to its own institutional incentives, sometimes gets things wrong.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/not-the-final-word.html

For too long, Congress has abdicated its constitutional duties to declare war.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/congress-dont-rubber-stamp-executive-war-power-overreach.html

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reportedly threatened to ask the House of Representatives’ top lawyers to investigate the House Intelligence Committee. It’s a confusing idea. Here’s ...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/justice-department-threatens-investigation-of-investigation-of-investigation.html

A food safety regulation to prevent contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables still has not been implemented after seven years.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/paper-cuts-slow-stroll-to-salad-safety.html

While it can be helpful to call attention to the exorbitant compensation federal contractors pay their executives, there are other problems in the contracting system that must be addressed.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/about-those-excessive-federal-contractor-salaries.html

Missouri is flouting the Supreme Court's ruling on jury decision-making in death penalty cases. But will the high court rein it in?

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/who-should-make-a-decision-on-life-and-death.html

During an investigation into leaks from a Senate Intelligence Committee staffer, the Justice Department went after journalist Ali Watkins’ data—seizing years of records related to her email a...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/a-dangerous-escalation-in-the-war-on-leaks.html

Court documents shed light on the impact of separating children and parents at the border.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/paper-cuts-orphaned-parents.html

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced legislation compelling patient advocacy groups to report funding they receive from pharmaceutical companies. This added transparency will give the publi...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/patient-advocates-get-big-funding-from-big-pharma.html

The companies vying for the Defense Department’s massive, winner-take-all JEDI cloud contract are sparing no expense when it comes to spreading influence around Washington.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/tech-giants-play-the-dc-influence-game-to-win-pentagon-cloud-deal.html

Last week, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced legislation that takes aim at the billions of dollars in improper payments made annually by federal agencies. The “Payment Integrity Informa...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/congress-taking-aim-at-waste-and-fraud.html

The 2017 disasters were tragic, but they provide an opportunity to learn how to better prepare for future disasters. Here is a rundown of recent POGO blogs, articles, and testimony on the topic.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/06/recommendations-for-disaster-response-and-recovery.html

On May 13, POGO Board Member and former Member of Congress Mickey Edwards addressed the graduating class of the Oklahoma City University School of Law, encouraging the graduates to evaluate just ...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/the-difference-between-law-and-justice.html

Paper Cuts examines the questionable trading history of the controversial Chinese phone company at the center of the President’s recent tweets.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/paper-cuts-zte-action-plan-for-smuggling-banned-tech-to-iran.html

In a major victory for civil rights and civil liberties advocates, ICE has shut down its plan to include unreliable automated social media scanning as part of an “Extreme Vetting” program. Ho...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/ice-backs-down-on-extreme-vetting-automated-social-media-scanning.html

POGO talks with the NSA’s first independently-appointed Inspector General.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/a-q-and-a-with-the-nsa-internal-watchdog.html

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his aides often disregard, and perhaps even attempt to evade, oversight and accountability

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/how-zinkes-interior-department-has-impeded-oversight.html

As Gina Haspel assumes office, we have no reason to trust that she will oppose abuses of the CIA’s covert action powers, or preserve evidence that reflects badly on the CIA or the White House.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/enhanced-evasion-techniques.html

What may be most shocking of all is, current laws regulating lobbying are so painfully weak that Cohen’s potential influence-peddling may have been legal.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/paper-cuts-cashing-in-on-connections.html

When the Justice Department shared former FBI Director James Comey’s Trump-related memos with Congress, executive branch defenders were outraged. They’re wrong, and here’s why.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/why-congressional-inquiries-trump-federal-investigations.html

The EPA’s claims its new science policy will increase transparency, but it will actually severely limit the scientific information the agency can use to keep the public safe.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/wolf_in_sheeps_clothing_or_a_scientists_lab_coat.html

There are tens of thousands of documents that could tell the storied history of rags-to-riches, up-from-the-hollow U.S. Senate candidate and lifelong coal baron Don Blankenship. But you really on...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/paper-cuts-blankenships-battles.html

We must learn from the failings of the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation to make future oversight efforts better.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/05/how-house-intel-committees-russia-investigation-turned-into-cautionary-tale.html

A bill that would further burden the regulatory process may make it to the Senate Floor.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/regulatory-foes-try-to-seize-the-day.html

A recent report from the staff of Senator Claire McCaskill details many shortcomings of the state of FEMA disaster response contracting. If not corrected, these problems will impact future disast...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/senate-report-details-major-disaster-response-contracting-failures.html

A California court recently ordered a contractor that tried to block the release of public records to pay the legal expenses of an organization that requested the records.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/public-interest-group-wins-legal-fees-in-transparency-lawsuit.html

Over the past 37 years, the Project On Government Oversight’s investigations have saved taxpayers billions of dollars.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/pogos-outsized-tax-day-impact.html

Half of the six contractors that built border wall prototypes had questionable track records, including one contractor that the Army Corps of Engineers felt was too risky to do future business wi...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/bad-actors-among-border-wall-contractors.html

A list of questions the Senate needs to ask CIA director nominee Gina Haspel about her role in torture and rendition.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/what-the-senate-needs-to-ask-gina-haspel.html

The Trump Administration wants to add an untested question about citizenship to the 2020 census, but including it could reduce the accuracy of the data—data that we use to apportion Congression...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/the-citizenship-question-a-lot-riding-on-a-single-change-in-2020-census.html

Police departments are moving forward with plans to incorporate real-time facial recognition in body cameras, creating serious risks to privacy and due process rights. Before adding facial recogn...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/three-key-reforms-for-facial-recognition-and-body-cameras.html

As ethics problems pile up, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt should go.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/pruitts-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day.html

A new intelligence agency report found fewer government employees and contractors holding security clearances and a worsening backlog of pending security reviews. But the report omits key data, p...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/04/government-security-clearances-continue-to-drop-backlogs-remain.html

Despite months of the President railing against regulations, a new government report concludes that benefits of regulations vastly outweigh the costs.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/regulatory-rhetoric-meets-regulatory-research.html

On March 9th, POGO staff visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster response warehouse located in Frederick, Maryland. The current network of warehouses delivers supplies to disaste...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/pogo-staff-visit-key-disaster-response-warehouse.html

The President’s tweeted criticism of the Department of Justice Inspector General’s involvement in an investigation into possible wrongdoing by agency officials, and Congressional calls for an...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/shortsighted-on-oversight.html

Whistleblower retaliation concerns have even infected the offices that are supposed to be a safe haven for those who report abuse in the Intelligence Community.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/key-intel-whistleblower-official-fired-as-spy-agencies-face-oversight-crisis.html

Several administrative review boards lack adequate membership to decide important questions of workers’ rights and surveillance oversight. As a result, workers can’t find relief and the Ameri...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/short-staffed-vacancies-leave-life-altering-oversight-work-for-later.html

Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers faced a question: How could they build a democracy to withstand the trials of time and survive the pressures that destroyed those that came before?

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/have-we-kept-madisons-republic.html

ICE and Border Patrol plan to pay private companies hundreds of millions of dollars to help the agencies hire new employees.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/homeland-security-hiring-contracts-may-be-more-trouble-than-theyre-worth-again.html

President Trump’s nominee to head the CIA reportedly oversaw one of the agency’s black sites and helped destroy videos of interrogations there.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/gina-haspel-troubling-role-in-the-cia-torture-program.html

A bipartisan letter from two Senators to the White House last month deserves greater attention—and praise. While it can seem that Congressional oversight is doomed to fail in this era of hyperp...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/the-depressing-heroism-of-a-bipartisan-congressional-inquiry.html

The FY 2018 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits lobbying activities by certain Defense Department officials, which will slow down the revolving door and help drain the swamp.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/defense-lobbying-ban-might-drain-the-pentagon-swamp.html

Whistleblowers are critical to journalists; their disclosures can inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable. They can reveal wrongdoing that government officials or corporate titan...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/the-modern-politics-of-american-whistleblowing.html

Every year during Sunshine Week, citizens across the country shine a light on the problems preventing Americans from enjoying the open government that they deserve.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/pogo-lights-up-for-sunshine-week.html

The Defense Department is claiming—wrongly— that Congress cannot restrict the United States’ participation in Yemen’s civil war

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/pentagon-to-congress-you-cant-stop-us-from-fueling-saudi-arabias-war-in-yemen.html

Suspicious trades in the run-up to President Trump’s steel tariff announcement are just the latest potential conflict of interest involving the one-time White House advisor.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/carl-icahn-a-conflict-of-interest-icon-for-the-trump-era.html

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is paying the city of Eloy, Arizona, half a million dollars a year for no good reason.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/ice-is-giving-money-away-hand-over-fist-in-bizarre-contract.html

Protecting our registration rolls from malicious hacking is critical to preserving the integrity of our election system, and needs to be a significant part of heightened efforts to increase elect...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/election-security-needs-to-begin-long-before-ballots-are-cast.html

The oil, gas and mining industry has six voting seats out of 20 on the panel, known as the Royalty Policy Committee, and they predictably advocate for paying the public less. But industry’s voi...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/meet-the-oil-friendly-federal-panel-that-could-give-drillers-a-sweetheart-deal.html

A controversial pick for a top Census Bureau job has withdrawn. Strong nonpartisan leadership is needed at the Bureau to ensure the 2020 census goes well.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/census-needs-strong-objective-leadership-now.html

The Justice Department is implementing President Trump’s promise to bring back private prison contracts, ignoring its own Inspector General’s recommendations.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/government-prison-contracts-gamble-with-taxpayer-dollars.html

Would you believe that some federal agencies are still mistakenly paying people long after they are dead? Fortunately, new bipartisan legislation in the Senate takes steps to tackle this problem.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/i-see-dead-people-cashing-federal-checks-legislation-targets-payments-made-in-error.html

An influential committee meeting this week has the power to fix that system by implementing important reforms to the way the public is compensated for resources extracted from public land.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/how-an-influential-committee-can-make-energy-royalties-great-again.html

The Environmental Protection Agency is especially slow at processing Freedom of Information Act requests for records in the Administrator’s office compared to the rest of the agency.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/epa-drags-its-feet-with-foia-records-requests-aimed-at-scott-pruitts-office.html

The failure of a small, inexperienced company to deliver meals to Puerto Rico disaster survivors highlights the need for improved federal contracting.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/unworthy-tribute-fema-contract-raises-disaster-preparedness-concerns.html

Budget, staffing, and leadership decisions have resulted in fewer investigations and prosecutions of polluters.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/enforcement-of-environmental-laws-drops-under-trump-administration.html

Past U.S. presidents of both parties have threatened to undermine the authority of the third branch. Do President Trump’s attacks cross a red line?

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/the-president-v-the-courts.html

A new report from the Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog found shortcomings in the agency’s suspension and debarment program, undermining safeguards that protect taxpayers from poorly...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/homeland-security-falling-short-in-managing-risky-contractors.html

New guidance from the Office of Special Counsel warns federal agencies that non-disclosure agreements, insider threat programs, and employee monitoring programs may violate whistleblower protecti...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/insider-threat-programs-could-chill-whistleblowing-agency-warns.html

It’s time to tell Congress that we need new and better solutions to “unrig the system.”

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/unrigging-the-system.html

The House Intelligence Committee voted to publicly release its classified memo on the FBI while opting to be willfully ignorant of the facts and potential consequences of its actions. That's the ...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/the-memo-willful-ignorance-and-the-house-intel-committee.html

FISA, a highly complex law, has two provisions particularly relevant to the Nunes memo and the hypocrisy surrounding the Republicans’ sudden concern about it.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/02/with-release-the-memo-nunes-hopes-you-wont-understand-fisa.html

This month, the Department of Justice formally issued its new policy of more aggressively seeking to throw out False Claims Act lawsuits it deems “frivolous” or “meritless.” POGO explains...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/justice-department-plan-to-weed-out-frivolous-whistleblower-cases-may-do-more-harm-than-good.html

Foreign corruption is a problem enabled by American laws, banks, and other institutions. U.S. journalists need to partner with peers in other countries to connect the dots.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/us-a-haven-for-global-corruption-profits-panelists-say.html

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will testify today in front of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. POGO hopes for thorough answers about EPA accountability.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/scott-pruitt-to-testify-today-here-are-pogo-most-pressing-questions.html

Don’t let Fortune magazine’s ranking of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” fool you—most of those companies have long rap sheets and paid millions of dollars in fines, penalties, an...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/the-dark-side-of-the-worlds-most-admired-companies.html

Senators voting on a new NSA director should set a strong but simple condition for their approval: In order to be confirmed, the next NSA director must publicly commit to Congress that that the N...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/after-foreign-surveillance-law-congress-must-demand-answers-from-intelligence-community-1.html

Federal agency IT contracts with a combined value in the billions of dollars are not being properly reviewed and approved by chief information officers as is required by law.

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/it-contracts-worth-billions-lack-proper-oversight-gao-reports.html

The Department of Homeland Security and its Office of Inspector General moved beyond an impasse over the public issuance of a report on the Department’s bungled rollout of President Trump’s t...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/dhs-showdown-with-watchdog-over-travel-ban-report-partially-resolved.html

Recovery from the 2017 hurricanes will mean tens of billions of dollars in federal disaster spending. Oversight of such large amounts will be vital, and providing adequate funds for that oversigh...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/record-breaking-national-disaster-recovery-budget-should-include-ample-oversight.html

As we move forward with this new iteration of Section 702, it’s critical to look back at the debate and correct the record on inaccurate statements about this law and the proposals to reauthori...

http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/01/facts-on-fisa-correcting-the-record-on-the-section-702-house-floor-debate.html