Ethics

documents

Conflict of Interest Waivers for Mina Hsiang Financial Disclosures, Certificate of Divestiture for Mina Hsiang Findings Based on Focus Groups and an Online Survey Among Voters in Michigan and Ohio Financial Disclosure Report of New CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky Pentagon Proposal to Weaken Lobbying Restrictions on Former Pentagon Officials Congressional Letter to GEO Group Questions Spending at Trump Hotel CWDP Report to Congress September 2018 Court Transcript of August 2 hearing in Chen v. The Geo Group ICE’s August 1 Letter Alleging a Violation of Agency Regulations by Tracey Valerio A Former ICE Official’s Sworn Declaration on July 20 As an Expert Witness for GEO Group Brie Van Cleve Disclosure Report Ben Reinke Disclosure Report Kailee Tkacz Ethics Agreement Maggie Lyons Ethics Agreement Avenatti & Associates, APC Project Sunlight Executive Summary

letters

Office of Government Ethics Proposes Ethics Rule With a Moon-Sized Loophole Letter Requesting Interior’s Office of Inspector General to Investigate Cruzan Group Contract Promoting Judicial Ethics with the 21st Century Courts Act Reducing Personal Financial Conflicts of Interest in Government POGO Asks OMB To Rescind Ethics Waivers That Put a Top Official Above the Law POGO Leads Broad Coalition Calling for Congressional Action on Insider Trading POGO Urges the National Academies to Fix Its Conflict-of-Interest Policy Coalition Urges Congress to Close the Pentagon’s Revolving Door POGO and Fix the Court Urge Senate Judiciary Committee to Consider Reforming the Supreme Court Shadow Docket Coalition Urges House to Close the Pentagon’s Revolving Door POGO Concerned About Risk of Implicit Bias in Office of Special Counsel Actions POGO Urges New SEC Chair to Reform the Audit Industry Letter to Office of Special Counsel Regarding Equity in Hatch Act Enforcement Coalition Urges Senators to Robustly Investigate Nominees’ Conflicts of Interest POGO Endorses H.R. 1 - the For the People Act POGO Urges the Incoming Administration to Pursue Good Governance Reforms Defense Policy Bill Should Enhance Accountability and Reduce Costs Diverse Coalition Urges Action to Bring Accountability to Justice Department Coalition Urges Congress to Reject Pentagon Proposal to Weaken Lobbying Laws Coalition Applauds Congressional Leaders for Powerful Hearing on Protecting Judicial Employees POGO Comment on DNA Collection from Immigration Detainees POGO Files Hatch Act Complaint Against Mulvaney and Sondland in Ukraine Affair Senate Bill Reforms Law Governing Foreign Influence on American Politics POGO Asks Inspector General to Review Interior Official’s Move to Oil Company Broad Coalition Supports Ethics Amendments to the Defense Policy Bill White House Threatens Independent Office in Defense of Conway POGO Urges Senate to Clarify Ethics Issue Before Voting on Barry Myers' Nomination Congress Must Increase Judicial Accountability and Transparency POGO Urges Congressional Ethics Committees to Revise Conflict of Interest Rules POGO Asks Congress to Request DOJ Ethics Guidance to Acting Attorney General Whitaker POGO Files Hatch Act Complaint Against USDA Secretary POGO Urges Review of Ethics Reporting Omissions by President Trump Senator Warren's Bill Offers Many Reforms to Improve Government Ethics and Accountability POGO Supports Grant of Testimonial Subpoena Power to Inspectors General POGO Calls for Congressional Investigation and Oversight of “Zero Tolerance” and Border Crisis 23 Organizations Support Provision Requiring Senate Candidates to Electronically File Their Campaign Finance Reports POGO Urges President Trump to Fill Inspectors General Vacancies POGO Files SEC Complaint on Possible Insider Trading Letter to U.S. Attorneys in Border States on the Prosecutor's Duty to Ensure Justice and Protection of Constitutional Rights under new "Zero Tolerance" Policy Letter to Attorney General Sessions on Effect of Zero Tolerance Policy on Border Prosecutions on Constitutional Rights The Constitution Project at POGO Supports Reforms to Virginia’s Criminal Discovery Rules POGO Urges DHS to Abandon Problematic Social Media Collection Plan Civil Society Urges Senators to Reject Haspel Nomination, Citing Lack of Transparency Civil Society Warns Against Pentagon’s Repeat FOIA Secrecy Exemption Ask POGO Requests GAO Investigation into Reported Mulvaney Statements Urging Bankers to Lobby Congress Law Professors Tell Congress: Protecting the Special Counsel is Constitutional POGO Response to President Trump's Letter POGO Urges Congress Not to Confirm Nominee Who Used Nonprofit for His Own Benefit POGO to Attorney General Sessions: Opioid Task Force Must Examine the Revolving Door POGO Asks SEC to Investigate Carl Icahn for Insider Trading POGO Submits Hatch Act Complaint to Office of Special Counsel Alleging Violation by FCC Commissioner The Constitution Project at POGO Objects to the Department of Justice’s Proposed Closure of the Office for Access to Justice POGO Joins Ethics Watchdogs in Demanding Transparency POGO Urges OGE to Require Comprehensive Appointee Ethics Agreements POGO Asks Attorney General Sessions to Recuse from Birmingham Superfund Bribery Case POGO Asks US Attorney Town to Recuse from Birmingham Superfund Bribery Case POGO Requests that the White House Publicly Release Ethics Records POGO Supports Bill to Codify Appointee Ethics Pledges Groups Call on Deputy AG to Promptly Appoint a Special Counsel to Handle Russia Investigation POGO Pushes Ethics Office to Reconsider Guidance on Discretionary Trusts POGO Letter to White House: Conflicted Advisors Should Be Subject to Ethics Laws POGO Requests Review of Conclusion that President Trump Isn't Violating His DC Hotel Lease Suggested Ethics Reforms for 2017 Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel POGO Works with Bipartisan Coalition to Propose Expanding Obama Ethics Executive Order POGO Urges House Oversight Committee to Support Office of Government Ethics POGO and Bipartisan Ethics Experts in New Letter to Trump: Divest Now to Prevent Ongoing Conflicts Groups Urge President-Elect Trump to Place his Business Assets and Investments into a Genuine Blind Trust POGO Joins Letter Supporting WARN Act POGO Calls for New Chair of Securities and Exchange Commission POGO Joins Groups in Defending the Office of Congressional Ethics POGO Joins Comments Calling for Public Access to Consumer Complaint Narratives POGO and Partners Urge SEC to Strengthen Whistleblower Program POGO calls on President Obama to seek resignation of NRC Commissioner Magwood POGO Supports Proposed Rule to Extend Conflict of Interest Requirements for Contractors POGO Joins Over 100 Groups in Voicing Concerns Over NSA Spying POGO Letter to Associate Commissioner Warner, FDA, Questioning FDA's Handling of Conflicts of Interest on FDA Advisory Committees POGO Opposes Self-Regulation for Swaps and Futures Markets POGO Joins in Urging CFPB to Put More Consumer Complaints Online POGO Opposes Self-Regulation of Investment Advisers POGO and Allies Urge Congress to Provide Full Funding to CFTC Groups Oppose Legislation to Gut SEC and CFTC Whistleblower Programs POGO and Allies Oppose Bill That Would Hobble SEC POGO Letter Regarding Legislative Proposals to Reform the Securities and Exchange Commission POGO Letter Opposing Legislative Proposal to Create a Self-Regulatory Organization for Investment Advisers Groups Oppose Measures to Repeal Dodd-Frank Financial Reform and Weaken Consumer Protection Agency POGO Joins Public Citizen to Comment On Proposed FOIA Implementation POGO Joins Groups Calling for Public Access to Complaint Database at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Groups Oppose Industry Proposals to Gut the SEC and CFTC Whistleblower Programs POGO's letter regarding the draft bill proposed by Representative Grimm to amend the whistleblower incentives and protections programs at the SEC and CFTC POGO Joins Launch Letter of the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Campaign POGO Letter to SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro Regarding Inspector General Recommendations for Disciplinary Action POGO's Public Comment Regarding the CFTC's Whistleblower Award Program POGO's Public Comment Regarding the SEC's Whistleblower Award Program POGO Letter to FINRA Calling for Open Board Meetings Groups Support Bipartisan Senate Bill to Strike SEC FOIA Exemptions POGO Letter to Congressional Conferees Calling for Accountability and Transparency in Financial Regulatory Reform Legislation Groups Urge Financial Regulatory Conferees to Ensure Public Access to Disclosures on Financial Fraud POGO Letter in Support of McCaskill Amendment to Improve Coordination Between Financial Agency Inspectors General Letter in Support of Grassley Amendment to Expose and Slow the Revolving Door at Financial Regulatory Agencies POGO Letter in Support of Grassley Amendment to Strengthen Inspector General Indpendence POGO Letter to Congress Calling for Oversight of Small Business Bailout Program POGO Letter to Congress Calling For Increased Oversight of Financial Self-Regulators POGO Letter to SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro Regarding Loopholes in Proposed Rule to Increase Transparency for Troubled Assets POGO Letter to SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro Regarding the SEC's Failure to Act on Hundreds of Inspector General Recommendations POGO OpposesLloophole in Derivatives Overhaul Legislation Good Government Groups Support Bill to Improve Bailout Transparency POGO Letter to Congress Raising Concerns About Bailout Private Asset Managers' Conflicts of Interest POGO Letter to Congress Questioning FDIC's Role in Legacy Loans Program POGO Raises Concerns About FDIC's Legacy Loans Program POGO letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner raising concerns about conflicts of interest and lack of transparency in AIG bailout POGO Letter to Congressional Oversight Committee Leaders Concerning Certain Financial Companies Seeking Backdoor Access to TARP Funds POGO and 77 other open-government groups call for bailout transparency POGO Letter to Congress Urging Immediate Oversight on the Bailout

resources

POGO Recommendations for a Centralized Ethics Records Database Three Steps to Help Stop the Pentagon’s Revolving Door Promoting Accountability and Transparency in the Federal Judiciary Comparing Ethics Orders: Biden’s Is on Top, But it Could be Stronger

Latest

The Bridge: Say no to optional government ethics!

analysis | June 16, 2022

Latest

POGO Urges Congress to Lift the Veil on Defense Ethics Records

testimony | June 15, 2022

Interior Dept Gives Rules Drafted by Oil Industry Force of Law

investigation | August 7, 2018
Bribery Trial Reveals Jeff Sessions’ Role in Blocking EPA Action Targeting One of His Biggest Donors

investigation | August 3, 2018
Paper Cuts: From Russia with Love

analysis | July 24, 2018
Racial Discrimination in the Courts: The Case of Marcus Robinson

analysis | July 24, 2018
POGO’s Suggestions to Congress: Oversight to Counter Foreign Interference

analysis | July 20, 2018
Chamber Music: Corporations Attain Harmony with Federal Corruption Laws

analysis | July 11, 2018
Those 5-to-4 decisions on the Supreme Court? 9 to 0 is far more common.

analysis | June 28, 2018
Paper Cuts: How Can I Contact My Daughter?

analysis | June 27, 2018