Project On Government Oversight

Hard to think of anything today other than the devastation in...

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:27:37 -0400

Hard to think of anything today other than the devastation in Oklahoma. This photo from the Goddard Space Center shows the storm system that created yesterday’s F-4 tornado. Notice how tight and compact it is.

50,000 Followers!

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:43:31 -0400

Thanks so much for being part of our amazing growth in the last year. We just feel so:

You’ve helped us spread our investigations into government waste and conflicts of interest to entirely new audiences and you’ve gotten involved by the tens of thousands by signing petitions and sending letters to your members of Congress.

We just want to say:

"Today, a row of chin-up bars stands beside a grassy mound topped with a manhole cover bearing the..."

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:57:59 -0400

“Today, a row of chin-up bars stands beside a grassy mound topped with a manhole cover bearing the words, “WARNING DO NOT FILL.” This is the only visible reminder of Hadnot Point Well No. 602, in which one 1984 test found levels of the carcinogenic gasoline additive benzene at 76 times the allowable federal limit.”

- -After nearly 30 years, Camp Lejeune coming clean

Those carcinogens were part of the what could be the largest water contamination in U.S. history. Nearly one million Marines and their families used contaminated water for drinking and cooking for over 30 years. Only now is the clean up finally coming to an end.

"Holy smoke—that was a horrible conflict of interest."

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:45:40 -0400

“Holy smoke—that was a horrible conflict of interest.”

- A former biodefense official, upon learning that a Pentagon advisor had convinced the government to spend $334 million on an Anthrax drug produced by a biotech firm he had a stake in. (via officialssay)

Celebrating our legal fellow’s last day with an office...

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:40:03 -0400

Celebrating our legal fellow’s last day with an office breakfast… That’s Meryl holding her going away mug signed by our staff.

Taxpayers Could Foot Bill For Fannie Mae Fraud Settlement

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:31:30 -0400

Taxpayers Could Foot Bill For Fannie Mae Fraud Settlement:

We bailed them out, and now we might have to pay for their court settlement too.

Sh*t just got real. A note one of our coworkers posted on the...

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:44:25 -0400

Sh*t just got real. A note one of our coworkers posted on the fridge.

usagov: Image description: From the U.S. Department of...

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:05:16 -0400

usagov:

Image description:

From the U.S. Department of Interior:

Not all of our public lands are far from urban areas. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area chronicles two hundred years of history, from Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier and the Mexican Republic, to maritime history, and the California Gold Rush. It also provides some pretty killer views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.

Photo: Justin Kern

fantastic image of the Golden Gate Bridge from the U.S. Dept. of the Interior

Ten Questions That USASpending.Gov Can’t Answer

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:53:43 -0400

Ten Questions That USASpending.Gov Can’t Answer:

USASpending.gov is supposed to be a hub for citizens to find information about government spending, but it comes up short when trying to answer some key questions.

Today’s pretty sunset photo courtesy of the Marine Corps...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:38:40 -0400

Today’s pretty sunset photo courtesy of the Marine Corps Flickr page.

"The government ought to be limiting prosecutions to those intending to harm our national defense...."

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:43:34 -0400

“The government ought to be limiting prosecutions to those intending to harm our national defense. The overzealous prosecutions and subsequent silencing of those who might disclose government information undermines the legitimacy of national security claims and every open government declaration the President has made.”

- Angela Canterbury, POGO’s Director of Public Policy, on the AP phone spying scandal.

Danielle in the makeup chair before taping Moyers. Today’s...

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:10:05 -0400

Danielle in the makeup chair before taping Moyers. Today’s topic: industry influence over Congress.

"The Justice Department is pursuing at least two major press investigations, including one believed..."

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:47:52 -0400

“The Justice Department is pursuing at least two major press investigations, including one believed to be focused on David Sanger’s reporting in a book and in The Times on an American-Israeli effort to sabotage Iranian nuclear works. These tactics will not scare us off, or The A.P., but they could reveal sources on other stories and frighten confidential contacts vital to coverage of government.”

- The New York Times lashes out against the secret DOJ dragnet of AP phone and email records, saying that the Obama administration has “a chilling zeal for investigating leaks and prosecuting leakers.” (via thepoliticalnotebook)

We’re in the Big Apple to talk to Bill Moyers about industry’s...

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:08:00 -0400

We’re in the Big Apple to talk to Bill Moyers about industry’s undue influence in Congress.

Ok, we’re pretty sure this is the very first selfie taken...

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:06:22 -0400

Ok, we’re pretty sure this is the very first selfie taken from outer space. According to NASA’s flickr, flight engineer Chris Cassidy snapped this during his space walk at the International Space Station on May 11.

"Amid a lot of technical legal issues, it all boils down to something very simple: Should..."

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:05:45 -0400

“Amid a lot of technical legal issues, it all boils down to something very simple: Should whistleblower protections favor the conscience of a concerned federal employee willing to risk his job and the freedom to inform the public, or should they dissolve in the face of an unseen bureaucrat’s (retroactive) pseudo-classification decision?”

- from The Whistleblower Who Wouldn’t Go Away

For sale: Former Air Force One

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:06:00 -0400

For sale: Former Air Force One:

A former Air Force One has gone on the market.

That’s one way for the government to make a little money.

The Ugly End to the Largest Service Contract in U.S History

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:29:54 -0400

The Ugly End to the Largest Service Contract in U.S History:

Dealings between KBR and the Army have gotten “very nasty” as the two try to close out the largest government services contract in U.S. history, according to an article in Federal Times.

Drunken Navy and Marine aviators, dozens of allegations of...

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Drunken Navy and Marine aviators, dozens of allegations of sexual assault, an initial investigative whitewash — the Tailhook Scandal revisited. The lessons learned from that incident seem to have been lost on our military leaders.

CIA Realizes It's Been Using Black Highlighters All These Years

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:41:00 -0400

CIA Realizes It's Been Using Black Highlighters All These Years:

LANGLEY, VAThe most crucial passages of U.S. intelligence have been emphasized with indelible black highlighters.

So that was the problem!