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Latest Policy Publications
POGO’s experts push policymakers to enact commonsense reforms that tackle waste, corruption, and abuse of power; hold those who’ve violated the public trust accountable; protect our constitutional rights; and make the government work for all people.
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AnalysisGAO’s June 14 F-35 Report: Understates Its Own Findings; Uses Misdirecting DOD Criteria
Not all GAO reports are equal. Some tell the whole story; some entirely miss key elements; many are a mixed bag. When I worked at GAO, we used to joke in the cafeteria that the best GAO reports are never released, but some do escape.
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Analysis
5 Things the Public Wouldn’t Know Without FOIA
It has been 46 years since President Lyndon Johnson quietly signed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) into law on the Fourth of July, officially giving the public access to federal government records. With thousands upon thousands of requests now processed per year, it’s ea...
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Analysis
F-22 Fighter Jet Mishap Challenges Air Force Explanation of Flight Problems
Pilots flying America's most expensive fighter jet are suffering from mysterious health problems, and the Pentagon can’t explain why. The Air Force suggested last month that pressure vests worn by the pilots might be interfering with their ability to fly the plane, so it made...
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Analysis
Finally Some Justice for a Defense Contractor Whistleblower
The Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General (IG) recently validated a contractor whistleblower reprisal for the first time in six years. The IG was able to side with the whistleblower in this special case because the complaint was related to a defense contract involving ...
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Analysis
Navy Avoids Giving Members of Congress Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Docs
The Navy continues to play games when it comes to releasing critical information about the water contamination at Camp Lejeune—this time, by dodging the document request made by nine Members of Congress, the Project On Government Oversight learned today. But the fight for more...
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Analysis
POGO Applauds Bureau’s New Credit Card Complaint Database-Boon for Consumers
Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a brand new credit card complaint database, providing the public with important, new information on which banks have generated criticism from consumers. Making these complaints available online will aid the Am...
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Analysis
Intelligence Chief Uses Unreliable Lie Detector Technology to Plug Media Leaks
The testing could put intelligence workers at risk of being falsely stigmatized, jeopardizing their careers and their ability to contribute to the national security. It also could have a chilling effect on employees considering blowing the whistle on government wrongdoing.
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Analysis
Zooey Greif Interviews Winslow T. Wheeler
Wheeler discusses his article “The Jet That Ate the Pentagon;” the large portion of procurement money earmarked for the F-35; why single-purpose planes are better and cheaper than multipurpose ones; and the price/performance penalty inherent in stealth aircraft.
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Analysis
The Sequester Noise
The Hill is today publishing a raft of commentaries on the defense budget sequester. They include pieces by myself, Gordon Adams and Mackenzie Eaglen.
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Analysis
The Guerilla Warfare of Pentagon Contractors
Defense contractors, in their relentless campaign to avoid reductions in Pentagon spending and, consequently, the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars they receive every year, have started taking hostages—their own employees.
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Analysis
JPMorgan Deploys Former Regulators to Talk to Current Regulators
Amid a sweeping overhaul of Wall Street regulation, JPMorgan Chase, the banking powerhouse, has often deployed former government officials to represent it in Washington.
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Analysis
An Interview with Rolling Stone Reporter Michael Hastings
Michael Hastings never thought he was going to get the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan fired. But in June 2010, one of the hottest D.C. summers on record, the Rolling Stone reporter—who was then only 30-years-old—penned a piece that sent shockwaves throug...