Legal Actions

July 24, 2019

Request for IG Investigation of Interior Department’s FOIA Awareness Process

On June 17, 2019, CfA along with American Oversight, American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, Democracy Forward, and Western Values Project, filed a complaint with the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) calling for an investigation of the agency’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Awareness Process.  Political appointees at Interior appear to be using the Awareness Process to interfere with the release of documents in response to FOIA requests.

June 13, 2019

Letters Calling for Investigation of Trump Officials for False Testimony About Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

On June 13, 2019, CfA called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to open a criminal investigation into A. Mark Neuman, a former transition official at the Department of Commerce, and John Gore, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General at DOJ, for having potentially committed perjury by lying about their efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. CfA also called on the Office of Professional Responsibility at DOJ to investigate Mr. Gore and discipline him appropriately for violating Bar rules prohibiting dishonesty.

May 14, 2019

Letter Calling for Investigation of David Bernhardt’s Former Lobbying Firm for Lobbying Disclosure Violations

On May 14, 2019, CfA called on the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives to investigate the lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP and one of its lobbyists, Luke Johnson, for possible violations of the Lobbying Disclosure Act in connection with their representation of Northeast Maglev, a company seeking to build a high-speed train along the Northeast Corridor.

April 8, 2019

Letter Calling on Allegheny County Officials to Investigate Secret Political Campaign Run by Local Businessman

On April 8, 2019, CfA and Audrey S. Bensy, a resident of O’Hara Township, Pennsylvania, called on the Board of Elections and the District Attorney’s Office in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to investigate Robert J. Kania, Jr., Gary Britcher, Kania Enterprises, Inc. and Americans Against Socialism for multiple serious violations of Pennsylvania’s Campaign Finance Reporting Law.

April 5, 2019

Second Letter Calling for Investigation of Interior Nominee David Bernhardt for Lobbying Disclosure Violations

On April 5, 2019, CfA again called on federal officials to investigate whether Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and his former lobbying firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, violated the Lobbying Disclosure Act and the False Statements Act by failing to disclose Mr. Bernhardt’s apparent lobbying in connection with Westlands Water District (Westlands), an agricultural conglomerate in California. New documents indicate that Mr. Bernhardt continued to work for Westlands through April 2017 despite formally withdrawing his lobbying registration on November 18, 2016.

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