Newsletter

The Paper Trail: November 15, 2024

Misleading Melatonin Supplements; Brain Trauma in Navy Sailors; Minority-Owned Firms Brace for Contracting Crisis; and More.

Nov 15, 2024

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Announcements

Don’t be a Lame Duck – Prep Now for the 119th Congress: POGO’s virtual training on how to use the lame duck session to develop your oversight agenda to ensure you’re prepared to hit the ground running come January will be held TODAY at 12 noon EST. This event is only open to staff in Congress, GAO, and CRS. Register HERE.

The Paper Trail

Top stories for November 15, 2024

Trump’s team skips FBI background checks for some Cabinet picks: President-elect Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for some of his Cabinet picks while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs. Ultimately, the president has the final authority on who he nominates and decides to share intelligence with, regardless of the established protocol to make sure those selections don’t have unknown foreign ties or other issues that could raise national security concerns. Trump’s team has, to date, resisted participating in the formal transition process. (Evan Perez et al., CNN)

Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump: David Huitema, currently a State Department ethics official, will now serve in the government-wide ethics czar role at the Office of Government Ethics in a five-year term. OGE is heavily involved with political appointments and typically communicates with the White House on a daily basis to arrange financial disclosures and ethics agreements from nominees. (Eric Katz, Government Executive)

Oversight of contract security guards at federal buildings is lacking, OIG says: The Federal Protective Service recently spent $1.7 billion on contract guards to protect 2,500 federal facilities, but a DHS inspector general report found gaps in the agency’s oversight of contracted security services. For example, in a 2022 inspection of a facility in Pittsburgh, a guard told a visitor to put their firearm in the bushes in order to re-enter the building. (Sean Michael Newhouse, Government Executive)

China-linked hackers stole wiretap data from telcos, FBI and CISA say: The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed that hackers affiliated with China broke inside several telecom providers and stole data relating to lawful wiretaps. The agencies also acknowledged that the hackers had exfiltrated cellular records on Americans and eavesdropped on the conversations of “individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity.” (John Sakellariadis and Maggie Miller, Politico)

U.S. has spent $14 billion on Afghan evacuees: According to a recent report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the U.S. has appropriated or otherwise made available $21 billion in assistance to Afghanistan and to Afghan refugees since U.S. forces withdrew in August 2021. (Stephen Dinan, Washington Times)

Special counsel Jack Smith asks court to halt his appeal against Trump in Florida case: While the charges in both the classified documents and election interference cases haven’t been officially dropped, they appear to be heading in that direction. (Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Breanne Deppisch, and David Spunt, Fox News)

Looking Ahead to 2025:

→ Tracking Trump’s Cabinet and staff nominations

→ Trump’s demand to skirt Senate confirmations poses early test of a radical second term

→ Trump says Elon Musk will lead “DOGE,” a new Department of Government Efficiency

→ Trump vows to go after his enemies if elected. Meet two enforcers ready to carry that out

→ Fear and loathing in IG world

→ Trump draft executive order would create board to purge generals

→ Incoming Trump admin is eyeing new immigrant detention centers near major U.S. cities

→ Trump’s “border czar” could have more power, fewer hurdles on deportation policy

→ Immigration lawyers prepare to battle Trump in court again

→ Trump wants to end ‘wokeness’ in education. He has vowed to use federal money as leverage

Israel-Hamas War

U.S. won’t suspend military aid to Israel as Gaza deadline expires: Secretary of State Antony Blinken decided not to suspend military assistance to Israel after determining that the Israeli government took steps to improve the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Humanitarian groups claim Israel has failed to meet the demands set by the White House to improve the humanitarian situation. (Barak Ravid, Axios)

Insurrection

Judges delay Jan. 6 trials on verge of Trump presidency: Two federal judges have now postponed key deadlines in January 6 criminal cases, agreeing with defendants’ arguments that potential pardons when Donald Trump takes office would make the proceedings unnecessary. (Kyle Cheney, Politico)

Dobbs Aftermath

Women stockpile abortion pills before Trump term: Women are seeking out abortion medication in higher-than-usual numbers, and reproductive-health organizations and companies are reporting increased demand for “morning after” pills and long-lasting birth control like intrauterine devices and vasectomies. (Marisa Iati, Washington Post)

Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures: Drawing on the playbook they used in the past to regulate clinics out of existence and outlaw particular methods of abortion, anti-abortion groups are gearing up to file lawsuits targeting federal regulation of abortion pills and push legislation in Congress and state legislatures that will circumvent constitutional amendments and court rulings protecting the procedure. (Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico)

Police Misconduct

A police chief was accused of paying $100 to rape a teen — and trying to cover it up: When police officers are charged with crimes involving child sexual abuse, they usually evade lengthy sentences and public reckonings over their crimes. Other cases quietly fall apart when children say they are too afraid to continue; or when local prosecutors, who often work closely with the accused officers’ departments, drop the charges; or when investigations are thwarted by officers intimidating victims and witnesses, destroying evidence, or using their connections to derail criminal proceedings. (Jessica Contrera and Jenn Abelson, Washington Post)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

U.S. military suicides rose in 2023, persisting despite prevention efforts: The Defense Department’s annual report on military suicides reported an increase in 2023, continuing a gradual rise in suicides among active-duty forces, particularly among enlisted men under the age of 30. (Eleanor Watson, CBS News)

Chronic brain trauma is extensive in Navy’s elite speedboat crews: Seeking an edge in combat, the Navy has created speedboats so fast and powerful that riding in them can cause long-term damage in sailors’ brains. The problem has implications that go beyond this small, specialized Navy unit: In its push for ever more powerful weapons and equipment, the Pentagon may be exceeding what the human body can handle. (Dave Philipps, New York Times)

Navy didn’t understand well-documented risks posed by Hawaii fuel tanks, watchdog says: The Pentagon’s inspector general found Navy officials “lacked sufficient understanding” of the risks of maintaining massive fuel storage tanks on top of a drinking water well at Pearl Harbor, where spilled jet fuel poisoned more than 6,000 people in 2021. The IG also documented other troubling Navy failures involving the incident. (Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press)

How the Pentagon (quietly) spent $1 billion of inflation relief money: To help fight post-pandemic inflation, Congress in 2022 earmarked $1.05 billion to offer relief to a range of defense projects. New information reveals that the three top recipients were the Navy’s Constellation-class frigates (built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine), the Air Force’s new F-15EX (built by Boeing), and the Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (prime contractor: General Dynamics). (Michael Marrow and Valerie Insinna, Breaking Defense)

Business and Finance

Minority-owned firms fear crisis as affirmative action programs fall: Minority- and women-owned businesses are bracing for the end of affirmative action in federal contracting — and the potential loss of billions of dollars in contracts — as government programs for disadvantaged firms have fallen to legal attack recently. (Julian Mark, New York Times)

No one can find safe-deposit boxes anymore: Bank customers are struggling to find the small boxes to store family heirlooms and other valuables. Banks say safe-deposit boxes are becoming more trouble than they’re worth. (Ben Eisen and Shara Tibken, Wall Street Journal)

Tech

Biden cements TSMC grant before Trump takes over: Federal officials are racing to put in place President Biden’s plans to boost U.S. chip manufacturing. While the administration has struck several deals to award billions in funding, none of the money has yet gone out the door. (Ana Swanson and Madeleine Ngo, New York Times)

Are face-scanning smart glasses a problem or prophecy? Harvard students created glasses with facial recognition technology that can instantly tell you the name and address of anyone you meet. The invention is raising concerns over a lack of privacy protections, particularly for women and minorities. (Adam Smith, Context)

Health Care

State regulators know health insurance directories are full of wrong information. They're doing little to fix it: Many states have sought to make insurers clean up their health plans’ provider directories over the past decade. But errors are still widespread, and punishments are lax. (Max Blau, ProPublica)

Many kids’ melatonin supplements don’t contain the doses they claim: Melatonin supplements marketed for children are popular among parents struggling to get their kids to sleep. But a new study found the amount of melatonin in these products can vary enormously, with some products containing none and others containing a potentially hazardous amount. (Emily Schmall, New York Times)

Pay first, deliver later: Some women are being asked to prepay for their baby: Pregnant women are being asked to pay out-of-pocket fees months before they deliver their babies. Advocates worry this billing practice allows providers to hold treatment hostage. (Renuka Rayasam, KFF Health News)

The anti-fluoride movement vaults into the mainstream: There has been a shift in the debate over fluoride in drinking water. It occurred as trust in the nation's public health system eroded during the COVID pandemic, and it reflects growing public concern over the toxins and substances that accumulate in our bodies. (Joseph Goldstein, New York Times)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ Smugglers tell migrants to rush to U.S. before Trump takes power

Other News:

→ Ethics panel to meet as pressure builds for Gaetz report release

→ After two “Forever” postage stamp hikes, the USPS lost nearly $10 billion in 2024

→ Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira receives 15 years for secrets leak

→ America’s shadow war in Yemen has its own racist military swag

→ Jury says defense contractor must pay $42 million over Abu Ghraib abuses

Because It’s Friday

The Onion wins auction for Alex Jones’ media company: Alex Jones’ media empire was sold at auction, and the winner was satirical news outlet The Onion. Proceeds of the sale will go to paying down Jones’ $1.5 billion debt to families of Sandy Hook victims who won two defamation suits against him. (Tovia Smith, NPR)

Hot Docs

🔥📃 DHS OIG: Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Homeland Security. OIG-25-04(PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - Whistleblower Protection: Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Needs to Improve Awareness of FBI Employee Rights. GAO-25-107794 (PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - Whistleblower Protection: DOJ and FBI Need to Improve Employees’ Awareness of Rights. GAO-25-106547 (PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - H-2A Visa Program: Agencies Should Take Additional Steps to Improve Oversight and Enforcement. GAO-25-106389 (PDF)

Nominations & Appointments

Nominations

Devin Anderson - Member, Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute
Carol Kellermann - Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Loida Lewis - Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood - Judge, United States District Court of Guam
Tali Farhadian Weinstein - Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Adam White - Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Withdrawals