POGO Integrates Good Jobs First Data Into COVID-19 Spending Tracker

Media Contacts:Brandon Brockmyer, Director of Research at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), [email protected]; or Caitlin MacNeal, Communications Manager at POGO, [email protected]

(WASHINGTON)—The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) has launched the latest version of its COVID-19 spending tracker, which includes data on corporate accountability from Good Jobs First.

With this integration, users can see if a company that received a loan, contract, or other form of federal aid had previously paid any fines or penalties for violating government regulations. This new feature makes it far easier to scrutinize COVID-19 aid recipients and understand how much federal spending went to companies with a history of misconduct.

The tracker now includes an “Accountability Flags” section for each transaction POGO matched with Good Jobs First’s data. This section shows penalties related to employment and contracting practices; environmental, health, and safety violations; as well as consumer protection, financial misconduct, and unfair competition. The tracker also links to additional details on Good Jobs First’s COVID Stimulus Watch.

The most comprehensive COVID-19 spending tracker to date, POGO’s database now accounts for $1.9 trillion in federal spending on the pandemic, including $46.3 billion in contracts. A previous update to the tracker added a mapping feature and a tool to overlay spending data with demographic information and unemployment statistics. POGO will continue to update the tracker quarterly with new federal pandemic spending data.

“We’re proud to make it easier for the public to learn more about companies that received COVID-19 aid. The integration of corporate accountability information will make it easier for policymakers, journalists, and the general public to hold the government accountable for its spending,” said Brandon Brockmyer, director of research at the Project On Government Oversight. “It’s crucial that we understand how effectively federal dollars were spent during the pandemic so that the government can be better prepared to respond to the next crisis.”

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Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing.

We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.