Watchdog org. filing complaint against anti-abortion group with state contract
"Campaign for Accountability (CFA), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., said Real Alternatives has received $2.6 million over five years to run the Michigan Pregnancy and Parenting Support Program (MPPSP)."
Watchdog Calls on Michigan to Terminate Contract with Anti-Abortion Nonprofit, Real Alternatives
On January 14, 2019, CfA called on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, as well as Attorney General Dana Nessel and Auditor General Doug Ringler, to investigate and terminate the state’s contract with Real Alternatives, an anti-abortion nonprofit organization that receives state funding to run the Michigan Parenting and Pregnancy Support Program. CfA’s investigation found that, despite receiving $2.6 million in Michigan taxpayer funds over the course of nearly five years, Real Alternatives appears to have both misused taxpayer dollars and failed to provide adequate health services.
When Big Tech embeds staffers in political campaigns
"But are those tech reps getting too much access to politicians and future leaders? Jed Kim talks with Daniel Stevens, executive director of the Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog group in Washington, D.C. He asked him what's in it for the tech companies. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation."
Pro-choice or Anti-abortion, We Should All Agree Women Need Real Healthcare
"Positions on abortion are deeply-entrenched and hard to change. But people of good will across the abortion divide should be able to agree on at least two things: healthcare services should be provided by those with the necessary training and experience, and state money appropriated for healthcare services should be spent on providing those services."
This Group Posed As Russian Trolls And Bought Political Ads On Google. It Was Easy.
“Google has admitted it’s trying to stop this activity when it comes to issue ads but its clear there’s a huge gap in their policing of this content,” Stevens told BuzzFeed News. “It feels like a flagrant abdication of responsibility and it’s in-line with the trend we see from Google — they're very hesitant to crack down on things that are a threat to their business model.”
Posing as Russian Troll Farm, Watchdog Buys Politically Divisive Ads on Google
On September 4, 2018, CfA released a report documenting how CfA bought politically divisive ads on Google using Russian rubles and a Russian IP address. CfA posed as the infamous Russian troll farm, the Internet Research Agency (IRA), and bought ads using similar language and the same images that the IRA deployed during its 2016 influence campaign. The ads ran on major U.S. media websites and their YouTube channels.
Watchdog Calls on HHS to Release Sec. Azar’s Communications with Former Employer Eli Lilly
On August 30, 2018, CfA filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeking communications between Sec. Alex Azar, and any representative or lobbyist for Eli Lilly and Company. Sec. Azar worked at Eli Lilly for a decade, and he has supported a proposed rule change at HHS that would greatly benefit the pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Watchdog Calls for Investigation into HHS Secretary Azar’s Relationship with Former Employer Eli Lilly Following Proposed Rule Change
On August 28, 2018, CfA called on ethics officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to open an investigation into HHS Secretary Alex Azar and his relationship with his former employer, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company. HHS recently proposed a new rule that would greatly benefit Eli Lilly, and Sec. Azar has championed the issue while at the helm of HHS.
Knight Institute and Campaign for Accountability Urge Proactive Disclosure of “Secret Law” Governing Executive Branch
On August 15, 2018, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and Campaign for Accountability filed an amicus brief urging a federal appeals court to rule that the Office of Legal Counsel must proactively process its formal written opinions for public release under the Freedom of Information Act.
Partisan Programming: How Facebook and Google’s Campaign Embeds Benefit Their Bottom Lines
On August 14, 2018, CfA released a new report, “Partisan Programming,” detailing how political campaigns utilize embedded staffers from Facebook and Google to help run their campaigns – an arrangement that provides companies with unique access to top politicians.