"POGO Discusses the Latest WikiLeaks Disclosures," December 6, 2010. POGO staffers sit down to discuss something that relates to so many aspects of our work—the latest WikiLeaks disclosures. (Running time: 36:09)

"War Zone Watchdogs Part 2: No Cigar for SIGAR?" November 19, 2010.  POGO recently called for the removal of two war zone watchdogs--the Department of State's Inspector General and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). In part 2 of 2, POGO staffers discuss a recent hearing in which Members of Congress questioned the effectiveness of the SIGAR. (Running time: 20:17)

"War Zone Watchdogs Part 1: A Letter Regarding the State Department Inspector General," November 19, 2010.  POGO recently called for the removal of two war zone watchdogs--the Department of State's Inspector General (IG) and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In part 1 of 2, POGO staffers discuss our recent letter to the President raising questions about the independence of the State Department's IG. (Running time: 21:16)

"Private Security Contracting in Afghanistan," November 4, 2010.  POGO staffers discuss a recent report issued by the State Department Office of the Inspector General, which evaluated the performance of the private security contractor responsible for guarding the U. S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The report confirmed many of the findings of POGO's 2009 investigation into "Lord of the Flies" environment that had taken hold of the embassy's private security guard force. (Running time: 27:44)

[For more info, see: State Department Inspector General Documents AGNA Antics in Afghanistan, POGO Letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding U.S. Embassy in Kabul]

"A Father's Attempt to Warn the Military about U.S. Servicemen Killing Afghan Civilians for Sport," October 11, 2010.  This June, the Army charged several U.S. soldiers with murdering three Afghans for sport in three separate episodes. Christopher Winfield, the father of Specialist Adam Winfield--one of the accused soldiers--recently told POGO his own story of how he tried to warn the Army about the killings. (Running time: 18:48)

"Downblending and the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex in Plain English," September 17, 2010.  How the U.S. can create jobs, increase security, save money, and generate as much as $23 billion for the Treasury. POGO's Ingrid Drake and Peter Stockton sit down to explain POGO's latest report. (Running time: 18:13)

"Special Announcement Within," September 10, 2010.  What do you want to know about POGO or the world of government oversight? Send your questions to info@pogo.org and we'll answer the top ten questions. (Running time: 2:39)

"On the Hunt for Savings at the Pentagon," August 13, 2010.  Winslow Wheeler, director of the Center for Defense Information, joins POGO for a discussion of the new Pentagon savings initiatives proposed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.  Read more about the savings initiatives here and here. (Running time: 18:17)

"Hill Update: Turning Investigations into Good Government Reforms," August 9, 2010.  Angela Canterbury, POGO's Director of Public Policy, walks us through some of the key pieces of legislation that POGO has been working on, and talks about what's next once legislators return from recess. (Running time: 24:12)

"Countdown to Zero...Oversight of the Nuclear Complex," July 21, 2010.  POGOnauts, including POGO Senior Investigator Peter Stockton, review a new film about the nuclear weapons complex, Countdown to Zero, and discuss the recent trend  towards less and less oversight of our nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. (Running time: 9:37)

"Plan B: Opengov Advocates Audit Revisions to Agency Open Government Plans," July 21, 2010.  POGO is joined by OpenTheGovernment.org's Amy Bennett for a discussion of the recent audit of revisions to agency Open Government Plans. Read more about the audits here. (Running time: 14:32)

"Examining Reforms to the Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior's Oil and Gas Regulator," July 9, 2010. POGO staffers dive into the history of the beleaguered government agency responsible for oversight of the offshore oil industry, and examine the reforms under consideration to improve (and possibly replace) the agency. (Running time: 15:06)

"Fun with Inherently Governmental Functions," June 24, 2010. It may be one of the bulkiest terms in Washington, but POGO's got the skinny on inherently governmental functions.  In this week's podcast, POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian describes her recent testimony before the Commission on Wartime Contracting, in which she addressed whether private security contractors in combat zones are performing services that should be reserved strictly for government personnel. (Running time: 10:22)

"The SEC's Little-Known Whistleblower Bounty Program," April 16, 2010. POGO takes a look at the SEC's program to reward whistleblowers who provide information to the agency about insider trading. (Running time: 13:46)

"What We Need in a Nominee for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," February 8, 2010. POGO's Ingrid Drake discuss why the Senate should oppose the nomination of William Magwood to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — and what we should be looking for in a nominee. (Running time: 16:05) 

"Recommendations for Good Government Reform," January 22, 2010. Just in time for the State of the Union address, Mandy Smithberger and Ingrid Drake discuss POGO's latest ovesight recommendations to the President. (Running time: 12:48)

"Derivatives, Financial Self-Regulating Organizations, and Preventing the Next Madoff Disaster," December 21 2009. Michael Smallberg discusses POGO's latest work on the economic recovery front. (Running time: 17:00)

Podcast: POGO's Danielle Brian, Private Military Herald podcast; PMH Radio, September 20, 2009.  POGO has played a critical role in elevating the voices of whistleblowers from ArmorGroup and other contractors at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul Afghanistan. Click here to listen to the podcast. (Running time: 30:56) 

"Educating Abby: POGO's letter to Housing and Urban Development about problems with FHA's mortgage insurance program," February 10, 2009 (Running time: 17:15)

Comments by Cherri Branson, Chief Oversight Counsel, House Homeland Security Committee on Key Ingredients for Effective Oversight of Disaster Relief, February 19, 2010. (Running time: 08:51)

Comments by Jerry Kammer, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, former journalist at The Arizona Republic and Copley News Service, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2006. January 22, 2010. (Running time: 15:19)

Panel Comments, Congressional Oversight Training Series: Congress vs. the President: The Scope and Limits of Congressional Oversight Powers  (held at the National Press Club, Washington DC), July 16, 2009. 

[The proper role of the legislature is] to watch and control the government; to throw the light of publicity on its acts; to compel a full exposition and justification of all of them which any one considers questionable; to censure them if found condemnable.
– John Stuart Mill

Panel Included:

• Mickey Edwards; former Member of Congress (R-OK), 1977-1993
• Morton Rosenberg; author/contributor to the handbooks; former Specialist in American Law at the Congressional Research Service staffer, and Constitution Project Fellow
• Chris Shays; former Member of Congress (R-CT), 1987-2009
• Ronald Weich; Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs for President Barack Obama

Comments by Margaret Daum, soon-to-be Staff Director for the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight chaired by Senator McCaskill (D-MO), and former Counsel for the House Oversight Committee; Congressional Oversight Training Series: Contracting Know-How, March 20, 2009. (Running time: 6:56)

Comments by Mort Rosenberg, current fellow at the Constitution Project, former specialist in American public law, Congressional Research Service; Congressional Oversight Training Series: "Investigations for Beginners," February 20, 2009. (Running time: 14:50)

Comments by Edward Mills, Office of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney; Congressional Oversight Training Series: "Advanced Seminar: Oversight of the Financial Sector," February 20, 2009. (Running time: 11:29)

Comments by Stanley Brand, former General Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives under Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr.; Congressional Oversight Training Series: "The Right Balance of Power: The Responsibility of Congressional Oversight," January 23, 2009. (Running time: 12:48)

Comments by Chris Strohm, national security reporter for Congress Daily; Congressional Oversight Training Series: "The Right Balance of Power: The Responsibility of Congressional Oversight," January 23, 2009. (Running time: 9:27)