Oversight in your inbox
Weekly newsletter and updates
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.
-
Analysis
The Return of Aaron Barr: Victim of Embarrassing Hacking Now Cybersecurity Chief at Large Federal Contractor
If you have been following the Wikileaks saga, you might remember the inciden involving an IT executive named Aaron Barr and the activist hacker group known as Anonymous. It's a comically bizarre story, but it has larger implications that deserve to be taken very seriously.
-
Analysis
Obama’s New Executive Order Has More Balance than Initial Post-WikiLeaks Response
The President has issued an executive order (EO) to prevent future leaks of classified information that addresses many concerns POGO had with a previous policy memo issued in the wake of several high-profile WikiLeaks disclosures.
-
Analysis
GAO Raises Serious Concerns about Conflicts of Interest and Inadequate Transparency at Federal Reserve Banks
The professional and financial ties between the directors of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks and Fed-supervised firms have created a "reputational risk" for the Federal Reserve System, and the Reserve Banks have not given the public access to key governance doc...
-
Analysis
Good News: Marine Whistleblower Franz Gayl’s Indefinite Suspension Is On Hold, For Now
The two leading federal agencies responsible for government whistleblower protections have moved to protect a high-profile Marine Corps science adviser, whose disclosures may have saved thousands of U.S. troops from death and injury.
-
Analysis
State Dept. IG Finds Waste and Mismanagement on Afghanistan Contract
The Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) may be history, but the need for a contingency operations watchdog of the CWC's caliber will never go away. In fact, just as the CWC was closing up shop last week, the State Department Inspector General released a report finding prob...
-
Analysis
It’s Final--No More Lobbyists on Federal Advisory Committees
Yesterday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued final guidance on a June 2010 memorandum from President Obama seeking to remove registered lobbyists from federal advisory committees.
-
Analysis
Three Takeaway Lessons from the GAO Audit of the Federal Reserve
Bailouts and financial oversight are making headlines again this week with the ongoing Wall Street protests and the three-year anniversary of the bailout legislation.
-
Analysis
Whistleblowers Convene in the District, Lobby Policymakers for Reform
Members of the whistleblower community gathered in the courtyard of the Steven R. Mott House last Monday and Tuesday for the 2011 Washington Whistleblower Assembly, entitled "A Conference for Accountability."
-
Analysis
New Features Added to Government’s Contractor and Grantee Responsibility Database
Almost six months have passed since the public debut of the government's contractor and grantee responsibility database, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, or FAPIIS. POGO was initially less than thrilled with FAPIIS, but we were optimistic that ...
-
Analysis
Is the Pentagon Downplaying Design Flaws in the Joint Strike Fighter?
Earlier this month, Bloomberg News reported on a "design flaw" in the wing of the Air Force and Marine Corps variants of the F-35 discovered during testing. The F-35 program office told Bloomberg and at least one other news outlet that the problem is not serious.
-
Analysis
New Rule Will Help Contractor Whistleblowers Reach Out and Touch Someone
Starting this week, coffee drinkers and water cooler gossips at companies like Lockheed Martin will have something new to read on those lunch room bulletin boards. The Department of Defense (DoD) issued a final rule requiring its contractors to display fraud hotline posters, l...
-
Analysis
Sunshine in the Courtroom (Makes Us Happy)
Currently pending in the Senate is the latest version of the Sunshine in Litigation Act (S. 623), a bill that would make it more difficult for courts to prevent the disclosure of settlement agreements and other civil litigation documents in cases relevant to public health and ...