Suggestions for Congressional Oversight after US-Russia Summit
Dear Members of Congress:
In the wake of the President’s controversial statements in Helsinki on July 16, 2018, dismissing the consensus view of most Members of Congress and the Intelligence Communities that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections, in a rare show of unity, members from both sides of the aisle have recognized that further action is necessary to shore up our democratic institutions from foreign interference. The President later reversed course, appearing in a press conference back in the United States, saying “I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place.”
POGO is an organization dedicated to nonpartisan and independent investigations that has worked to expose waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We have compiled a list of issues related to the ongoing attempts to undermine our democracy that are ripe for Congressional investigation and oversight. We hope that you will view this list of recommendations as a starting point to putting the full weight and authority of our legislative branch into deterring future threats against our democratic systems.
If you or your staff have any questions, thoughts, or requests for additional information please contact Liz Hempowicz at [email protected] or (202) 347-1122.
Sincerely,
Danielle Brian
Executive Director