Search Documents and Resources

  • Presidential Transition
  • COVID-19
  • Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
  • More Topics
  • About
  • Mission & History
  • Board & Staff
  • Financials
  • Take Action
  • For Federal Employees
  • COVID-19: Tips
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Project on Government Oversight
    • Mission & History
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Take Action
    • For Federal Employees
    • COVID-19: Tips
    • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Presidential Transition
  • More Topics
  • About
  • Mission & History
  • Board & Staff
  • Financials
  • Take Action
  • For Federal Employees
  • COVID-19: Tips
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Project on Government Oversight
    • Mission & History
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Take Action
    • For Federal Employees
    • COVID-19: Tips
    • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Staff

Mandy Smithberger

Director of the Center for Defense Information

PGP Fingerprint

F117 21CB 3DC2 28ED 001A 4480 4AD5 68A2 AC2E AEA0

Areas of Expertise

National security, Pentagon reform, revolving door

Mandy Smithberger rejoined POGO as the director of the Center for Defense Information in December 2014. Previously she was a national security policy adviser to U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) There, she worked on passing key provisions of the Military Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act into law, which expands protections by increasing the level of Inspector General review for complaints, requiring timely action on findings of reprisal, and increasing the time whistleblowers have to report reprisals. Previously an investigator with POGO, she was part of a team that received the Society of Professional Journalists' Sunshine Award for contributions in the area of open government.

Mandy is an expert on national security, Pentagon reform and the Defense industry revolving door. She has appeared recently on CNN, Fox News and NPR, and she’s been cited by various outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, and Foreign Policy.

Mandy received her B.A. in government from Smith College and her Masters in Strategic Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. She also served as an analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Central Command.

Latest Work

  • Introducing: The Bunker

    analysis | January 29, 2020

  • Never the Pentagon

    analysis | January 21, 2020

  • Conflicts in Space

    analysis | November 19, 2019

  • Does America Need a Space Force?

    analysis | October 10, 2019

  • Bestselling Pentagon Fiction

    analysis | September 26, 2019

  • Confrontation over Intelligence Whistleblower Complaint Shows Laws Falling Short

    analysis | September 18, 2019

  • Officers Advocating for More F-35s Often Had Financial Stakes

    analysis | August 19, 2019

  • In for a TransDigm, Out for Billions

    report | May 29, 2019

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next

In The News

  • Cancelling a Pentagon lobbying rule before it gets started

    May 12, 2020

  • Are increase progress payments actually helping defense industry? Warren wants to know

    May 06, 2020

  • Global Defense Spending Decline Expected As Nations Deal with Coronavirus

    April 28, 2020

  • U.S. Navy Pays Contractors $600 Million That Had Been Withheld for Poor Performance

    April 28, 2020

  • Amid pandemic, why USS Nimitz is critical to the country's defense

    April 18, 2020

  • Watchdog Orgs Want To Shut Defense 'Revolving Door'

    April 15, 2020

  • Pentagon looks to undo parts of McCain anti-lobbying law

    April 14, 2020

  • Pandemic Stymies Congressional Check on Trump's Foreign Policy

    April 08, 2020

  • As the World Economy Grinds to a Halt, the U.S. War Machine Churns On

    April 06, 2020

  • It’s Hardly Shocking the Navy Fired a Commander for Warning of Coronavirus Threat. It’s Part of a Pattern.

    April 04, 2020

Site Footer

  • Press Center
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Training
  • Newsletters
  • Publications
  • Take Action
  • Report Corruption
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity Great Nonprofits 2020 Top-Rated Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity

©2021 POGO | Privacy Policy

Project on Government Oversight logo

Project on Government Oversight