Entity: Department of Agriculture

USDA Communications Regarding Former ERS Administrator Mary Bohman

June 4, 2020
Records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture related to the departure of the former Administrator of the Economic Research Service, Mary Bohman. These records include emails announcing Bohman's departure and the announcement of her successor, Chris Hartley. American Oversight sought these records to learn more about Bohman's departure, which occurred right before the agency announced plans to relocate ERS.

No Records Response from USFS Regarding Communications Pertaining to Climate Assessments

May 29, 2020
The United States Forestry Service stated it had no records responsive to our request for communications from top officials containing key terms pertaining to reports addressing the worsening effects of global climate change.

USDA Emails Between Agency Officials and Stephen Miller

May 23, 2020
Records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reflecting communications between senior agency officials and White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller.

USDA Emails with Palantir Representatives from 2017 to 2019


May 22, 2020
U.S. Department of Agriculture emails with Palantir Technologies, a data analysis company that threatens people’s right to privacy. Palantir Technologies has contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, National Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and others. These records are from 2017 to 2019.

News Roundup: The Subversion of Justice at the Justice Department

May 15, 2020
From investigations into the president’s perceived enemies to interference in the criminal cases of Trump allies like Flynn and Roger Stone, the ongoing politicization of the department is a dangerous threat to the rule of law.

Complaint: American Oversight and Union of Concerned Scientists v. USDA and GSA — USDA Kansas City Relocation

May 13, 2020
Lawsuit filed by the Union of Concerned Scientists and American Oversight against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the General Services Administration for records — including site visit records, cost analyses, and decision memos — regarding the relocation of USDA offices to 805 Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. The building selected for the relocation is co-owned by a business belonging to Michael Merriman, a prominent Repblican donor in Kansas and Missouri.

USDA Emails Related to the Relocation of Agency Facilities to Kansas City

May 12, 2020
Department of Agriculture email records related to the relocation of two USDA departments to Kansas City, Missouri. These records include emails about the incentives that Kansas City offered as a result of the relocation.

USDA Contract Records for Ernst & Young’s Relocation Services

May 11, 2020
Records from the Department of Agriculture of a contract modification with Ernst & Young for consulting services related to the agency's Kansas City relocation. The contract includes the price, the scope of work, and deliverables information.

No Records Response from USDA Regarding Communications with Specific Individuals or Congress in June 2019

May 11, 2020
Department of Agriculture stated that it had no records of email communications between specified custodians and individuals with a congressional email address during a week in June 2019.

News Roundup: Protecting the Right to Vote During a Pandemic

May 1, 2020
Like many things in today’s politics, mail-in voting has become a political flashpoint as the November election gets closer.