From the disturbing violence of Jan. 6 to the ongoing efforts to restrict voting and cast doubt on the integrity of the 2020 election, 2021 has shown us just how fragile our democracy is. This year also underscored the power of public records to expose misconduct, shine a light on corruption, and hold our leaders accountable to the people. 

The latest revelations about the government officials, including elected lawmakers, who were involved in or supported former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss are a potent reminder that the threats to U.S. democracy did not disappear with the end of his administration and that our work is as urgent as ever.

Threats to Democracy

January 6 and Election-Overturning Ploys: The mob of Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol building may not have succeeded in preventing the certification of Joe Biden’s election, but they did demonstrate the frightening power wielded by the Big Lie. And there is still much we don’t know about that day, from the government’s apparent lack of preparedness to what Trump was doing during the attack and what accounted for the delay in sending National Guard troops. And we’re still learning about the extent of Trump’s schemes to illegally stay in power.

• In the fall, we obtained the call logs of top Justice Department officials from that day, including what appear to be a handwritten log from then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. The logs show frequent calls with the White House, the Pentagon, and Congress.
• Our ongoing investigation also led to the release of communications and a Secret Service timeline, which were cited in the Washington Post’s highly detailed, minute-by-minute account of Jan. 6.
• In March, we obtained two records that shed light on the Trump White House’s efforts to pressure Georgia officials to interfere in the recount of the 2020 election: an audio recording of Trump’s call with the lead investigator conducting that recount, and an email to the secretary of state’s office from an aide to Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
• New records from the Justice Department, which we published this week, include early January text messages from a top official who said she would quit if Trump followed through with his plan to replace Rosen with a loyalist willing to act on his baseless voter-fraud claims. “Justice is our client,” she said.
• This year, we filed multiple lawsuits for records from Jan. 6 and the days surrounding the attack, and we’ll continue to fight for more information.

Recent headlines:

• Jan. 6 committee weighs possibility of criminal referrals (New York Times)
• Pa. Rep. Scott Perry was part of a top meeting with Trump officials as they plotted to reverse the 2020 election, report says (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Republican Rep. Scott Perry says he won’t comply with Jan. 6 panel (NBC News)
• Jan. 6 investigators believe Nov. 4 text pushing ‘strategy’ to undermine election came from Rick Perry (CNN)
• 3 retired generals: The military must prepare now for a 2024 insurrection (Washington Post)

Election ‘Audits’ and Investigations: Despite multiple recounts, independent audits, and absolutely no evidence of irregularities that could have altered the outcome of the 2020 election, partisan activists have pushed several states to undertake baseless ballot reviews and unnecessary election investigations.

We’re still pushing for transparency for the Arizona Senate’s bogus “audit” of Maricopa County ballots. Our litigation has already helped expose the process for the sham it was: 

• In the weeks after the election, as Trump’s allies unleashed farfetched lawsuits seeking to overturn the results, Arizona Senate President Karen Fann was in frequent contact with Trump allies, including attorney Rudy Giuliani (and Trump himself).
• Conspiracy theorists and election deniers were involved in the months-long review, and officials undertook the process with predetermined conclusions in mind.
• Multiple courts have ruled that documents in the possession of lead “audit” contractor Cyber Ninjas are public records, but those behind the partisan exploit have continued to fight to keep them secret.

In Wisconsin, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said that the election investigation being run by attorney Michael Gableman will extend into 2022 and cost taxpayers even more than the $676,000 already allotted.

• Our investigation already found that taxpayers had footed the bill for Gableman’s trip to South Dakota to attend Mike Lindell’s election-conspiracy-fueled “symposium,” as well as for his and staff’s trip to visit the Arizona “audit.”
• We’ve also uncovered records pointing to the involvement of several partisan actors and the investigation’s alarming connections to people and groups behind various lawsuits seeking to overturn the 2020 election.
• This week, we filed our third lawsuit for investigation records; on Tuesday, the Dane County Circuit Court ordered Vos and the Office of Special Counsel to release related documents or show cause for why they cannot or will not do so.

Of course, the election reviews in Arizona and Wisconsin are not the only partisan exercises that serve to undermine faith in our democracy. Our investigation of these efforts have revealed the web of Trump allies and Big Lie proponents who are working to expand their reach to other states. We uncovered new details about a problematic post-election audit in Pennsylvania’s Fulton County, and are investigating the Pennsylvania Senate’s partisan election probe as well as the Texas secretary of state’s audit of four large counties.

Recent headlines:

• A retired colonel’s unlikely role in pushing baseless election claims (New York Times)
• Trump allies are helping Overstock founder Patrick Byrne run a group that pushes false election claims (CNBC)
• Steve Bannon threatens to take over entire U.S. ‘election apparatus’ (Daily Beast)
• New front in GOP election ‘investigation’ draws challenges (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Rift between Arizona Senate and Cyber Ninjas grows: Firm says it’s owed $100K for work (Arizona Republic)

Voting Rights

These efforts to bolster lies about widespread voter fraud and a “stolen” election have provided the pretext for 2021’s wave of voting restrictions.

• In addition to simply making it harder to vote, particularly for people of color and marginalized communities, Big Lie proponents are also working to put partisan actors in control of election administration. Georgia is a notable example, and we’ve published communications showing county officials’ reactions to state laws that drastically altered election boards.
• Meanwhile, public resources are being used not to make voting more accessible, but rather to prop up offices devoted to hunting for this nonexistent widespread fraud. We recently obtained records showing that the election integrity unit in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office closed just three cases of voter fraud in the last year and opened just seven new ones. At the same time, the unit’s budget increased to $2.2 million.

Recent headlines:

• Lincoln County, Ga., looks to eliminate all polling places but one (Augusta Chronicle)
• DeSantis’ plan for election crimes office has 52 people, more authority than locals (Miami Herald)
• Alarm as Texas quietly restarts controversial voting program (Guardian)

The Coronavirus Pandemic

 
The omicron variant’s rapid spread across the U.S. and the world comes as we approach the end of two full years of a pandemic that has resulted in a staggering loss of life and upending of society. 

• New details are still emerging about the Trump administration’s failed response, with a recent congressional report finding that the administration engaged in “deliberate efforts” to undermine public health and testing guidance and to silence officials in the service of Trump’s political ambitions. 
• Dr. Francis Collins, the outgoing director of the National Institutes of Health, said on Sunday that Trump had pressured him to endorse unproven Covid-19 treatments and to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci.
• This year, American Oversight has obtained and published thousands of pages of documents related to the government’s pandemic response, from emails showing frustration and confusion during the pandemic’s early months to records that illustrate the coronavirus’s toll among people in detention and the easy access private-sector representatives had to top Trump administration officials.
• We also published records pointing to the high level of influence the meat industry had on the Trump administration as cases rapidly spread through processing plants, and records we obtained were cited in congressional reports on problematic CARES Act contracts and the former president’s use of a food box program for political gain.
• This week, we reported on records from Florida showing that cruise industry lobbyists were heavily involved in crafting a bill that preempted Florida municipalities from placing restrictions on cruise ships docking at the ports, including restrictions related to public health.

Recent headlines:

• South Africa’s huge omicron wave appears to be subsiding just as quickly as it grew (Washington Post)
• Omicron sweeps across nation, now 73% of U.S. Covid-19 cases (Associated Press)
• Vaccine data gaps point to millions more in U.S. who lack shots (Bloomberg)
• Only the Pfizer and Moderna shots, when reinforced by a booster, appear to stop omicron infections (New York Times)
• Maker of popular Covid test told factory to destroy inventory (New York Times)
• Far-right using Covid-19 theories to grow reach, study shows (Associated Press)
• The FDA clears Pfizer’s Covid pills for high-risk patients 12 and older (New York Times)
• Bureau of Prisons can keep inmates in home confinement after coronavirus emergency ends (Washington Post)

Other Stories We’re Following

Recent headlines:

• The push to ban books in Texas schools spreads to public libraries (Texas Tribune)
• Michigan Supreme Court rules redistricting commission needs to release recordings, memos from closed session (Michigan Advance)
• Pentagon updates rules to address extremism in the military (Washington Post)
• At least 458 U.S. crimes tied to extremism involved veterans, active duty troops (Defense One)
• Kyle Rittenhouse gets standing ovation from conservatives, says he may sue media outlets (Washington Post)
• China initiative set out to catch spies. It didn’t find many (Bloomberg)
• Judge overturns deal giving Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family civil immunity from opioid claims (Washington Post)
• The FBI deployed surveillance teams inside Portland protests (New York Times)
• Trump sues New York A.G. in attempt to stop inquiry into his business (New York Times)
• GOP candidates are flocking to Mar-a-Lago to pay Trump for the privilege of hosting their event (Washington Post)