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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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Analysis
Supreme Court Strikes Out KBR
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected appeals by KBR and Halliburton to dismiss three lawsuits accusing them of harming service members and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Analysis
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Fired Air Marshal
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 today that Robert MacLean, a former U.S. Air Marshal, did not break the law when he blew the whistle on the federal government’s plan to reduce security on some long-distance flights.
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Policy Letter
POGO to FDA on Conflicts of Interest: Disclose Them!
Patients’ health is put at risk when outside experts advising the FDA have private financial interests that are undisclosed to the public. We propose specific ways to start correcting the problem. In short: POGO to FDA on conflicts of interest: Disclose them!
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Analysis
POGO to Launch Congressional Subpoena Rule Database
POGO’s Congressional Oversight Initiative has begun to create an online database of each committee's and subcommittee’s subpoena and deposition rules, and is reaching out to congressional staff for opinions on how these rules help or hinder bipartisan cooperation and effective...
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Analysis
New Disclosures Highlight Ashton Carter’s Ties to Investors
Ashton Carter, President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, received $20,000 last year from one of the top consulting firms offering political intelligence to investors, according to a new ethics disclosure.
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Analysis
Congress Reins In Excessive Pensions for Top Brass
Congress addresses the financial costs of star creep by cutting excessive pensions and perks for military officers that are in excess of what they received when they were serving in uniform.
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Analysis
SEC Chair Got Waiver to Oversee Wall Street Law Firm
Mary Jo White, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was granted a waiver last year allowing her to oversee a major corporate law firm that was also a former client of hers.
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Analysis
Court Revives False Claims Suit Against Triple Canopy
A federal appeals court revived a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging private security contractor Triple Canopy concealed the fact that its guards in Iraq lacked basic firearms proficiency.
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Analysis
Nuclear Contractor’s Award Fee Slashed by 90 Percent
The contractor managing the Los Alamos National Lab lost 90 percent of their award fee for poor performance in 2014, but more must be done to keep nuclear contractors accountable.
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Analysis
Ashton Carter Takes Revolving Door to Higher Level
Many Washington officials have traveled through the revolving door, moving from the private sector to the government and back again. Ashton Carter, President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, is part of an elite crowd that has managed to keep a foot in both worlds at t...
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Policy Letter
Watchdogs Urge the Energy Department to Slash the Award Fee for the Contractor at the Sandia National Laboratory
This letter urges the Energy Department not to provide any of the performance incentive award fee to the contractor managing the Sandia National Lab due to Inspector General findings of federal law violations.
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Analysis
Year-End Spending Bill Loaded with Pork and Boondoggles
In its rush to recess for the year, Congress enacted a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill, called the "cromnibus," which funded gobs of pork at the Pentagon and Department of Energy.