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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
Independence of Inspectors General is Essential
POGO discusses the Partnership for Public Service’s “Walking the Line” report and highlights the importance of Inspector General independence.
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Analysis
Justice Dept. Watchdog Confirms “Unacceptable” FARA Compliance
The Department of Justice Inspector General released an audit on enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) yesterday which echoed findings of lax compliance and enforcement of the law detailed in a 2014 POGO report.
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Analysis
POGO Critical of Pentagon Watchdog’s Handling of Whistleblowers
The director of POGO’s military reform project testified about the inadequate protections for whistleblowers who come forward to report misconduct at the Pentagon. Mandy Smithberger’s testimony called on the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General to restore the in...
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Analysis
Halt DHS Procurement while Private Detention Centers Evaluated
The Project On Government Oversight asks that the Department of Homeland Security immediately halt long-term contract renewals and solicitations for detention centers while the Homeland Security Advisory Board evaluates whether the immigration detention operations conducted by...
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Analysis
Whistleblower Rejects $8 Million Award to Protest Revolving Door
Eric Ben-Artzi turned down an $8.25 million award for blowing the whistle on fraud at Deutsche Bank because the government let the company’s executives off the hook.
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Analysis
Further Report of Abuse Inside the Defense Logistics Agency
The Project On Government Oversight recently learned new information involving its July 6, 2016, article about improper leaks of restricted government documents by the Defense Logistics Agency to a major US military contractor, Kuwait and Gulf Link, also known as KGL.
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Analysis
Walk the Talk: Acknowledging Whistleblower Retaliation at the VA
The Daily Caller brings attention to whistleblower retaliation within the Department of Veterans Affairs after a worker who reported 30 lost cars from the Los Angeles VA hospital was fired. The VA then blocked whistleblower Anthony Salazar from showing employer retaliation, ac...
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Analysis
Fair Pay and Safe Workplace Rules Set for October Launch
The Obama Administration has released final regulations and guidance to implement the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order. The regulations, which go into effect in October, will bring greater transparency to federal contracting and help level the playing field for law...
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AnalysisInspector General Finds Army Unable to Account for Trillions in Taxpayer Dollars
Will we ever be able to audit the Pentagon? A recent Department of Defense Inspector General report found the Army could not support trillions of dollars of transactions, echoing investigative findings by Reuters of accountants plugging in “mystery” numbers to resolve accounts.
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Analysis
SEC Secures Another Win for Whistleblower Rights
For the second time in less than a week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) scored a win for whistleblower rights when it fined Health Net $340,000 for using severance agreements to silence former employees.
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Analysis
To Be or Not To Be (Contracted Out)
While reviewing listings for federal government contractor jobs, the Project On Government Oversight was reminded of the confusion surrounding inherently governmental functions. Multiple definitions of this term have made it somewhat ambiguous and in need of consistency.
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Analysis
Upcoming Appeals Case Threatens Whistleblower Protections
An upcoming appeals case could make it nearly impossible for whistleblowers to win cases against employers who illegally retaliate. The case threatens to shift the evidentiary burden from the employer back to the employee, a development that would be contrary to all recent leg...