Federal Accountability

Watchdogs Submit New Evidence Revealing that Interior Secretary Violated Ethics Rules to Benefit Former Client

On November 12, 2019, CfA and Western Values Project, a Montana-based nonprofit conservation group, submitted additional evidence to ethics officials at the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Office of Government Ethics showing U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt continued to work with his former lobbying client, Westlands Water District, through at least July 2017, which is longer than was previously known.

New Report Details How BlackRock Fought Off Government Regulation by Spending Big in Washington

On September 5, 2019, CfA released a new report, BlackRock’s Washington Playbook, which details how BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, implemented a strategy of lobbying, campaign contributions, and revolving door hires to fight off government regulation and establish itself as one of the most powerful financial companies in the world.

Knight Institute, on Behalf of CfA, files FOIA Lawsuit Seeking Disclosure of Office of Legal Counsel Opinions

On August 21, 2019, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, on behalf of Campaign for Accountability (CfA) and five other plaintiffs, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit to enforce a request for formal written opinions issued by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) prior to February 15, 1994. The request was filed on behalf of CfA and five scholars who believe their work on U.S. history, law, and politics would benefit from a more complete understanding of the legal opinions that have bound policymakers for decades.

New Report Reveals How U.S. Senator Mike Lee Switched from Prominent Google Critic to Reliable Tech Ally

On August 19, 2019, CfA, which runs the Google Transparency Project, published a new analysis, "The Curious Transformation of Mike Lee," which documents how Google used its power and influence to turn U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) into a reliable Google ally after years of antagonizing the company.

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