Podcast
Bad Watchdog
What happens when the watchdog tasked with overseeing the most powerful law enforcement agency in the country doesn’t do its job?
Hosted by
Synopsis
In this award-winning investigative podcast, host Maren Machles explores how accountability failures in Washington, DC impact the lives of people all over the country, and she showcases the investigators, experts, and activists who keep our government working for the people.
In 2025, Bad Watchdog won two gold medals at the Signal Awards for best news and opinion limited series and limited series episode (Episode 6: "The Real Threat"), and a gold medal at the Davey Awards for best government and political podcast. The second season also won a silver medal at the Anthem Awards for best human and civil rights podcast, third place at the National Headliner Awards for best digital civic/political affairs podcast, third place at the Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features Awards for best narrative podcasting, and was a finalist for best investigative journalism podcast at the New York Festivals Radio Awards.
In 2024, the first season of the podcast won a silver medal for investigative journalism podcasting at the New York Festivals Radio Awards and was nominated for the Ambie Awards' Best Politics or Opinion Podcast.
If you enjoy Bad Watchdog, consider signing up for emails from the Project On Government Oversight to learn more about POGO’s mission and work.
Bad Watchdog is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.
Season 2
In the second season, Maren and POGO’s investigative reporters take a look at the Department of Homeland Security. They trace how an agency established to protect the nation from security threats has doubled down on detaining migrants, sometimes in horrifying conditions, while failing to address the more immediate security threat caused by far-right extremism — even within the agency’s own ranks.
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S02E01
The Red Herring
Listen NowEstablished in the wake of September 11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was entrusted with protecting the U.S. from national security threats. Since then, much of the agency’s focus has been on the southern border.
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S02E02
The Hole
Listen NowHost Maren Machles learns more about people’s experiences in ICE detention by talking with formerly detained activist Berto Hernandez and traveling to El Paso, Texas, to hear directly from people who were recently released from ICE facilities.
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S02E03
The Three Reports
Listen NowMaren follows the story of Berto Hernandez, who recounts their detainment at ICE’s Adelanto Detention Center and the treatment and conditions they faced inside.
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S02E04
The Battle
Listen NowThe Department of Homeland Security is a very large, very powerful federal agency. It’s also extremely secretive. Who monitors the agency and holds it accountable for the actions it takes as part of its mission to protect the homeland?
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S02E05
Behind the Curtain
Listen NowIn this episode, Maren gets into the conditions in ICE detention and raises the question: What needs to change for this broken system to be fixed?
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S02E06
The Real Threat
Listen NowIn the season finale of Bad Watchdog, we return to where we started, with the DHS’s counterterrorism mission.
Season 1
In the first season, Maren focused on the department’s Office of Inspector General, revealing a shocking pattern of misconduct that resulted in a failure to investigate some of the most troubling events in recent history.
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S01E01
The Missing Text Messages
Deleted Secret Service texts may hold important answers about the Jan. 6th insurrection, but Homeland Security watchdog Joseph Cuffari failed to tell Congress they were missing until explosive testimony by a former White House aide raised the stakes.Listen Now -
S01E02
The Tip of the Iceberg
A troubling pattern of ignoring serious misconduct at DHS begins to emerge.Listen Now -
S01E03
Abuse of Power and People
POGO investigators discover that Homeland Security watchdog Cuffari removed damaging findings from an official report about dozens of cases of domestic abuse by law enforcement agents with access to firearms.Listen Now -
S01E04
The Story of an Agency
Homeland Security watchdog Cuffari tries to bury a report on sexual harassment and misconduct at the agency, but POGO’s investigators expose the plot.Listen Now -
S01E05
Who is Joseph Cuffari?
Cuffari’s mismanagement of Homeland Security’s watchdog office has Maren wondering how he ended up with such an important job in the first place.Listen Now -
S01E06
The Perfect Storm
In the final episode of “Bad Watchdog,” Nick and Adam discover that Cuffari was aware of even more missing January 6th text messages, and experts discuss what may be preventing President Biden from taking action.Listen Now
Specials
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Special
Podcast Series Trailer
In a new six-part podcast, POGO investigators explore what happens when the official appointed to protect the people from fraud and abuse decides instead to protect the very agency he should be investigating.Listen Now -
Special
Update: Cuffari Regularly Purges Texts
Last week, DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari testified in front of a House Oversight Subcommittee. Bad Watchdog is back to break it down.Listen Now -
Special
Announcing Season 2
Listen NowThis summer, the Project On Government Oversight’s investigative podcast Bad Watchdog returns, with a new season focused on DHS.
