Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist John Crewdson Joins POGO Investigative Team

Evil-doers, fraudsters, and corruption enablers beware: POGO has added yet another piston to its investigative machine. We announced today that John Crewdson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist of the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, and most recently of Bloomberg, will join POGO as a senior investigator.

Crewdson brings with him some 40 years of investigative reporting experience, not to mention so many journalism awards that we may have to reinforce the shelves in his office.

Highlights from his career include:

• Reporting on the lack of emergency medical equipment on commercial airliners, which sparked congressional hearings and ultimately led the FAA to require U.S. airlines to carry portable defibrillators and emergency medical kits as standard equipment.
• Setting the record straight by reporting on the hundreds of Americans who have falsely claimed to have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
• Debunking the National Institutes of Health’s claim to have discovered the virus that causes AIDS.

"John Crewdson’s investigations have shaken the halls of power and, in many cases, righted injustices,” POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian said. “His work exemplifies POGO’s mission of exposing corruption and exploring solutions.”

Crewdson himself had some kind words for POGO: “For decades, POGO has been widely admired in Washington for its unrelenting determination to delve deeply into the machinery of government, uncover waste, fraud and corruption, and then force Congress and the White House to confront the problems it has exposed. I look forward to contributing to that essential effort.”

The Crewdson hire comes on the heels of two other additions to team POGO: Washington Post reporter David Hilzenrath and longtime Pentagon watchdog and all-around-defense-guru Winslow Wheeler.