Oversight
GovExec Daily: The OPM-GSA Merger and the Threat to the Civil Service
POGO's Nick Schwellenbach joined the podcast to discuss a recent investigation that found that the Trump administration "could not lawfully" go forward with the merger.
Oversight
Lawmakers Seek to Ensure Agencies Comply with Watchdog Review of WHO Funding Halt
They cited the Trump administration’s “history of obstruction.”
Oversight
Trump Friends and Family Cleared for Millions in Small Business Bailout
Beneficiaries of the PPP included a lettuce farming venture backed by Trump’s son, Kushner companies, and a dentist who golfs with the president. The figures were released after a lawsuit by several news organizations, including ProPublica.
Oversight
IG: Hurricane Dorian ‘Sharpiegate’ Report Was ‘Delayed, Thwarted and Effectively Estopped’
The Commerce Department denies it obstructed the process of publishing the watchdog’s full findings.
Oversight
Analysis: Has the IRS Hit Bottom?
Every year, the IRS annual report is an opportunity to measure how effectively the U.S. government has sabotaged its own ability to enforce its tax laws. This year’s report signals historic lows for U.S. tax enforcement.
Oversight
House Committee Investigates Whether Officials Misled Congress on OPM-GSA Merger
A recent watchdog group report cited notes from a phone call indicating the Trump administration was advised that the merger plan was illegal, an account that is at odds with what OPM officials testified before Congress last year.
Defense
Political Fight Over Russian Bounty on US Troops Appears to Warp Intel Debate
Democrats suspect the White House is trying to paint the assessment as less solid than it is.
Oversight
The 3 Weeks That Changed Everything
Imagine if the National Transportation Safety Board investigated America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Oversight
Analysis: Should the President Pick the Attorney General?
Attorneys general who serve at the pleasure of the president are more likely to act in pursuit of a particular political agenda, rather than solely in accordance with the rule of law.
Oversight
A Company Run by a White House 'Volunteer' With No Experience in Medical Supplies Got $2.4 Million From the Feds for Medical Supplies
A $2.4 million deal to supply the Bureau of Prisons with surgical gowns was the second multimillion dollar contract for coronavirus supplies that went to somebody who did work for the White House but had little relevant experience.
Oversight
Democrats Don’t Know How to Handle Bill Barr
Dems have a long list of grievances against Attorney General Barr, but the president’s ally at the Justice Department is proving an elusive target.
Defense
The First U.S. General to Call Trump a Bigot
Ricardo Sanchez, the retired former commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, becomes the first high-ranking military officer to call out the president for racism.
Management
Inside the Trump Administration’s Decision to Leave the World Health Organization
Despite Trump’s declared exit from the WHO, officials continued working toward reforms and to prevent withdrawal. Then, they were told they must justify any cooperation with the WHO on the grounds of national security and public health safety.
Management
Analysis: The Voice of America Will Sound Like Trump
Under the president’s control, U.S.-funded broadcasters could turn into a presidential propaganda machine.
Management
The Trump Administration Paid Millions for Test Tubes — and Got Unusable Mini Soda Bottles
The plastic tubes supplied for coronavirus testing by Fillakit, a first-time federal contractor with a sketchy owner, don’t even fit the racks used to analyze samples. And they may be contaminated anyway.
Oversight
Democratic Senators Call for USAID to Investigate Anti-LGBT, Anti-Muslim Comments by Appointees
The Democrats’ request comes as the agency grapples with internal frustration over its approach to racism and bias.
Management
New Law Directs FBI to Create National Law Enforcement Suicide Database
President Trump enacted the measure amid efforts to curb law enforcement brutality.
Defense
Analysis: Why Soldiers Might Disobey the President’s Orders to Occupy U.S. Cities
There is a long line of military heroes who had the moral courage not to follow immoral orders. In the days ahead, some may have to consider what exactly their oath to the Constitution requires.
Oversight
'I Can’t Speak Negatively About the President,' Says Official Charged With Stimulus Oversight
President Donald Trump’s purge of watchdogs is on the mind of one of the newly hired officials charged with overseeing the more than $2 trillion CARES Act.
Defense