DOJ inspector general investigating Trump-era car emissions case This article features Government Accountability Project’s client and was originally published here. The Justice Department’s inspector general is investigating the Trump administration's decision to open an antitrust probe of four automakers that had sided with California in a feud over the state’s strict vehicle emissions standards, Sen. Sheldon [...]
The Whistleblower: ‘We weren’t trying to make headlines. We were trying to just follow the evidence’ This article features Government Accountability Project’s attorney David Seide and was originally published here. Three years ago, East Texas federal prosecutor Joshua Russ was hours away from filing a landmark multibillion-dollar lawsuit in a Texas federal court against [...]
End the War on Whistleblowers This article features Government Accountability Project and was originally published here. Last month, ProPublica published a jaw-dropping look into the IRS data of well-known billionaires, revealing their meager effective tax rates in detail. The disclosures were met with shock and anger. After all, how could Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Michael Bloomberg, and [...]
The Real War Dogs of Iraq This article was written by our Investigator Zack Kopplin and was originally published here. The first day on the job at the defense contractor DGC International involves an unusual orientation. In the contractor’s offices in McLean, Virginia, some new hires were asked to watch War Dogs, a 2016 blockbuster based [...]
CLARK: The Justice Dept’s Spying On Congress, Journalists To Find Leakers Is A Disturbing, Unconstitutional Development This op-ed was written by our Executive Director and CEO Louis Clark and was originally published here. During the winter of 2017, someone most likely within the White House or intelligence agencies released a classified document to the Washington [...]
June 18, 2021 Dear Attorney General Garland, Chairman Nadler, Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Jordan, and Ranking Member Grassley, The undersigned civil society organizations write to condemn the Department of Justice’s surveillance of Members of Congress, their staff, and their families, and urge the Congress to investigate this matter immediately as well as enact substantive reforms [...]
May 26, 2021 Mr. Christopher Schroeder Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Schroeder: As organizations concerned about government oversight, openness, and accountability, we are writing to request the Department of Justice adopt a policy of transparency around Office of [...]
Dear President Joseph R. Biden Jr., You were elected on what the Marshall Project termed, “the most progressive criminal justice platform of any major party candidate in generations.” Already, in your first month in office, you have repeatedly demonstrated your eagerness to follow through on key promises. Now, you have an opportunity to make additional [...]
March 15, 2021 Attorney General Merrick Garland United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Attorney General Garland, We, the undersigned organizations, are encouraged by the commitment you have expressed during your confirmation process to restoring the integrity and independence of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”). As you recently said at your [...]
New Attorney General Thanks Employees for Their Public Service, Vows Commitment to ‘Norms’ This article features Government Accountability Project and was originally published here. The new attorney general on Thursday thanked the Justice Department’s employees for their dedication to public service, as he took over the department that was rife with allegations of political interference [...]