One Year of Covid-19 Oversight

For people across the United States, the beginning of March marks a full year since the coronavirus pandemic upended daily life. The Trump administration’s costly mistakes, the consequences of which are still being felt today, demanded aggressive oversight of the government’s response to the crisis.

Over the past year, American Oversight has submitted more than 1,000 public records requests in its investigation of federal and state responses to a pandemic that has taken more than half a million American lives. From the Trump administration’s political interference at science agencies and opportunistic anti-immigration measures to ongoing issues in vaccine distribution and revelations about the impact on vulnerable populations, here is a timeline of the pandemic’s first 12 months and American Oversight’s efforts to hold government officials accountable for their handling of the historic public health crisis. 

FEBRUARY 2020

Federal Response: On Feb. 3, the Trump administration declared a public health emergency and later implemented travel bans on people coming from China, but enacted few other tangible measures. Four days later, President Donald Trump told journalist Bob Woodward, in an audio recording released later in the year, that he “wanted to always play it [the virus] down.” On Feb. 23, Trump told reporters, “We have it very much under control in this country.”

  • We obtained documents from February in which a senior adviser at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs projected that Covid-19 could cause as many as 1.7 million deaths in the United States, and cautioned that the nation was “flying blind” in the face of early outbreaks in California. The emails also include concerns from state health officials about impending PPE shortages and other challenges.

Communications Management: On Feb. 28, CNN reported that White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney had sent a government-wide email the day before directing that all coronavirus-related communications go through Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller. On Feb. 26, the president had put Pence in charge of the Covid-19 response. We sent our first pandemic-related request in response to the news, asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Mulvaney’s email.

 

MARCH 2020

Political Interference: From the early days of the pandemic, the Trump White House sought to exercise political control over coronavirus messaging, with Trump in February having threatened to fire Dr. Nancy Messonier, a CDC official who had publicly warned about the dangers of Covid-19. 

  • In early March, following reports of Mulvaney’s directive and of the White House having told Dr. Anthony Fauci to cancel press appearances, we sent FOIAs to the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration seeking White House and HHS directives, orders, and guidance about public statements, website updates, or press strategy — eventually filing a lawsuit for those records in April.

Federal Response: Trump declared Covid-19 a national emergency on March 13, and the coronavirus quickly upended every facet of normal life. The economy reeled, schools closed, and people stayed inside under local stay-at-home orders. Also on March 13, the administration issued a ban on non-Americans traveling from European countries. But the U.S. pandemic response quickly fell behind, as testing rates remained far below other developed countries. 

  • Trump pressured the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in an unsuccessful attempt to assuage markets. We requested communications between officials at the Fed and the White House to determine whether and to what extent the Fed’s independence was being undermined. 
  • We sought all decision memos adopted by HHS, the FDA, and the CDC related to the coronavirus. We also asked those same agencies for communications with companies developing Covid-19 treatments or vaccines. 
  • As in-person learning shuttered across the country, we sent FOIAs to the Department of Education, asking for directives regarding the spread of Covid-19, top department officials’ communications about Covid-19, and communications with the White House. In November, the department told us it had no records of communications between top agency officials and White House officials involved in the pandemic response.

Testing: The Trump administration failed to ensure timely availability of testing kits for health care providers. We sent requests to multiple agencies, including HHS and the FDA, seeking directives regarding testing. We asked the FDA and the CDC for communications about Covid-19 testing (and sued for those records the next month), and requested HHS, CDC and FDA communications with private labs and organizations that were involved in developing Covid-19 tests. 

Medical Supplies and PPE: Records we later received showed top health officials having discussed, amid widespread shortages of personal protective equipment, that N95 masks could not be effectively reused. The records also included February emails from DHS officials about the dangers of virus transmission in crowded detention centers. 

  • On March 28, the Washington Post reported that states were having trouble getting supplies, so we asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the spreadsheets used to track requests and shipments of national stockpile materials. (View the spreadsheets here.)
  • We also asked FEMA for guidance to governors’ offices, assessments evaluating the inventory of critical supplies and the risk of coronavirus spread, and the communications of senior officials. 

State and Federal Coordination: On March 5, we sent requests to Washington state, where the first Covid-19 case in the U.S. had been reported. We requested communications between state and federal officials, later obtaining records that showed the federal government repeatedly left state officials confused about White House policies and struggling to coordinate with the CDC. We also received records from March in which Illinois officials expressed deep frustration with the White House for its poor coordination. 

Vulnerable Populations: As new reports surfaced regarding fears about Covid-19 in prisons, we asked for top Bureau of Prison officials’ related communications, including with contractors that run private prisons.

  • On March 19, we sent requests to the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and BOP seeking Covid-19 directives and risk assessments, as well as data on Covid-19 in detention centers, and sued for the records in May 2020. We also asked DHS and CBP for directives from the White House on border closures or immigration restrictions. 
  • We later received records that showed BOP missed key early opportunities to mitigate Covid-19’s spread within its facilities. The documents also suggested that Covid-19 cases among incarcerated people may have been present earlier than publicly reported.

Relief Funds and Loans: On March 27, Trump signed the CARES Act, which allocated $2 trillion in Covid-19 relief.

APRIL 2020

Influence and Access/Trump Family Business: We began April by investigating how the private sector had influenced the Covid-19 response. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner had been placed in charge of key aspects of the response and was leveraging relationships with the private sector.

  • We sent FOIAs to multiple agencies for briefing materials prepared for Kushner. On April 23, the Wall Street Journal reported that eight private-sector volunteers connected to Kushner had worked at FEMA to help source PPE, so we asked DHS for their emails and nondisclosure agreements. We also asked the Defense Department for emails with or about these individuals. 
  • We asked the Treasury, the Fed, and the Small Business Administration for communications with outside financial institutions to learn the extent to which the industry was seeking to use the crisis to achieve its own deregulatory goals
  • We investigated the distribution of economic assistance and filed a suite of requests to the SBA regarding assistance programs, seeking analysis about loans granted to companies affiliated with Trump, communications between SBA officials and outside companies lobbying for aid, and White House directives regarding loans.
  • On April 21, the New York Times reported that the Trump Organization explored getting an extension on lease payments at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., because of the pandemic. We requested senior GSA officials’ communications with the Trump Organization and the White House.

State Issues and State-Federal Coordination: Trump publicly opposed safety measures imposed by states, leading to multiple public clashes. 

  •  In early April, Trump publicly attacked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who had been critical of his Covid-19 response.
  • After ProPublica received records from Nevada highlighting early chaos at the CDC, we asked Nevada for communications with federal officials about the coronavirus and testing issues. We later obtained records that included CDC guidance on reopening the country, as well as emails about the possibility of a Covid-19 vaccine being available in the fall. 
  • In light of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ refusal to acknowledge community spread in Florida, we asked his office and the Department of Health for related emails.
  • On April 4, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp superseded local ordinances and reopened beaches, leading to criticism from local governments. We asked the governor’s office and counties for related communications.

Elections and Campaigns: While multiple primary elections were set to take place in person in April, some states struggled to adapt elections to the pandemic. 

Medical Supplies and PPE: By the first week of April, more than 200,000 Covid-19 cases had been confirmed in the U.S. But states were struggling to get necessary medical equipment.

Vulnerable Populations:

Business and Industry: Several large meat-processing plants closed after outbreaks among staff. We asked the Department of Agriculture about PPE provided to inspection personnel and communications between senior USDA officials and food industry representatives.

  • On April 28, Trump signed an executive order labeling meat-processing plants “critical infrastructure,” thus allowing them to stay open. USA Today reported in September on documents we obtained that showed that one week before the order, industry representatives had provided the administration with a very similar draft order.

Covid-19 Treatments: Trump promoted treatments such as hydroxychloroquine with little evidence, so we asked HHS, the CDC, the FDA, and BOP for related White House guidance and external communications. Records from BOP showed that interest in hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment led prison officials to restrict access to the drug, leaving incarcerated people who depended on it to treat long-term illnesses to find alternatives. 

Communications Management: Trump continued to promote lifting stay-at-home orders, criticized Fauci, and made dangerous claims about Covid-19 treatments. 

  • At the end of April, Rick Bright, a respected HHS career official, was dismissed from a key role in the coronavirus response reportedly because he pressed for rigorous vetting of hydroxychloroquine. We asked HHS and the FDA for communications about Bright and his sent emails.
  • On April 23, we sued multiple agencies for emails between agency officials and the White House regarding public communications or press strategy.

MAY 2020

Federal Response and Political Opportunism: At the beginning of the month, the country had already surpassed 1 million cases. But Trump was ready to move on and began aggressively pushing for the economy to “reopen.”

  • After Trump halted funding to the World Health Organization in April, we asked the State Department, the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and HHS for related assessments and legal analyses, White House directives, and senior officials’ communications
  • On May 6, Trump named Republican fundraiser Louis DeJoy to head the U.S. Postal Service. USPS faced an increasingly dire financial situation, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, and was facing the possibility of the Treasury Department taking unprecedented control of the agency through the terms of a CARES Act loan. We asked for communications between USPS senior leadership and the White House and the Treasury and impact assessments of coronavirus on key services.
  • Also on May 6, we sued the Departments of the Treasury, State, and HHS for coronavirus-related emails sent by two dozen top officials.
  • According to documents we later obtained and reporting by the Washington Post, in April USPS leaders had plans to distribute 650 million masks nationwide — but the White House canceled the plan. The documents also included emails from mail carriers and union representatives asking leaders to help protect employees from the coronavirus.
  • The Project on Government Oversight reported that the Office of Special Counsel received 31 whistleblower complaints related to coronavirus and the federal response. We asked for those complaints, and later received a spreadsheet indicating that 142 complaints had been filed between March and November. The complaints were submitted to a range of federal agencies, including ICE, the Census Bureau, and the Veterans Health Administration, with the latter facing more than 30 allegations. 
  • As the pandemic went on, members of the Trump administration — and the president himself — often appeared in public without masks, despite CDC recommendations to do so. We received May emails in which Kushner forwarded what he labeled “interesting intel from a good source” that stressed the importance of masks, saying that “masks really work” and were “the silver bullet in Asia.”
  • On May 15, the administration announced Operation Warp Speed, its vaccine-development initiative. We asked for copies of HHS’ contracts with Janssen Pharmaceutica and Moderna, and federal officials’ communications with both companies. That same day, we also sued the CDC and HHS over the CDC’s illegal practice of rejecting valid FOIA requests.

Immigration and Border Issues: The Trump administration used the pandemic as an excuse to push even more draconian immigration policies. 

  • On May 19, citing the pandemic, the CDC indefinitely extended its March order halting asylums, despite public health experts opposing the move. Earlier reporting had suggested White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller had long sought to use public health laws as a way to stem immigration. We asked HHS and CDC for communications with White House officials, including Miller, and for White House directives regarding the immigration orders. 
  • ICE continued deportations that further spread the virus in other countries, notably Guatemala, where formerly detained people made up nearly one in five of the country’s cases. We asked DHS and ICE for assessments regarding the impact of deportations on the spread of coronavirus.

Vulnerable Populations: Despite ICE detention centers emerging as Covid-19 hotspots, the administration transferred individuals between facilities, further spreading the virus. We asked for data and directives from HHS and the CDC regarding transfers.

  • We sued DHS, ICE, DOJ, and BOP for records regarding coronavirus mitigation in prisons and detention facilities. 

State Issues: On May 28, Covid-19 deaths in the United States surpassed 100,000.

  • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio faced significant scrutiny, especially for the slow implementation of preventive measures. We asked for communications of de Blasio and his staff to highlight whether and to what extent they disregarded expert advice.
  • On May 25, the governor of North Carolina said he was working with the Republican National Committee to determine whether to hold the Republican National Convention. We requested RNC communications with the governor’s office and the state’s department of health

JUNE 2020

Business and Industry: Meat-processing plants continued to be major hotspots. We asked for CDC communications with other federal agencies, the White House, and industry representatives regarding these plants and food safety issues. 

  • We later obtained documents in which the CEO of Smithfield Foods had emailed CDC Director Robert Redfield to say that the meat industry needed help — even though public reporting indicated that the U.S. was exporting a record amount of pork to China around that time.

Vaccines and Treatments: We asked HHS for communications and contracts with companies working to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, including AstraZeneca. 

Influence and Access: USDA created a multibillion-dollar program to distribute food during the pandemic, reportedly spearheaded by Ivanka Trump, which in late May became the subject of concerns regarding contracting decisions. We requested senior USDA officials’ communications about the program, including with involved companies, as well as directives regarding the program. 

Trump Family Business: On June 17, we sued DHS, DOD, FEMA, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation for communications with Jared Kushner, including records about Kushner’s role in pandemic-response task forces.

Vulnerable Populations: As the coronavirus spread in prisons, incarcerated people were kept nearly constantly in their cells, with hundreds of thousands being held in what often amounted to solitary confinement.

  • We asked for communications between Texas and Ohio officials and private prison contractors, as well as communications with state officials and wardens
  • In light of growing fears at ICE facilities, we asked ICE for directives or guidance regarding the criteria used to determine whether to release immigrants. On June 18, we sued DHS and ICE for records related to grievances filed during the pandemic. 
  • Protests against police brutality broke out across the country, and we asked multiple agencies for records reflecting any coronavirus screening or testing of the federal police who were deployed to multiple cities in response. Records we received from the U.S. Marshals Service reflected no such screenings, and USSS records showed that officers were tested after deployment, but not before.

State Issues: The United States marked more than 2 million confirmed Covid-19 cases, and by mid-June, case numbers were trending upward in more than half of states. 

  • Coronavirus unleashed a disproportionate toll on nursing home residents and staff. We asked senior public health officials in New York and New Jersey for communications about pandemic management.

Elections and Campaigns: Trump held campaign rallies in multiple localities hit hard by the coronavirus. We asked for assessments or reports by local departments of health in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and Oklahoma regarding the projected or actual effects of the campaign rallies on the spread of Covid-19.  

  • According to records we later obtained regarding an indoor June 19 rally in Tulsa, Okla., health officials estimated that up to nine initial deaths would occur as a direct result. 
  • In late June, Pence hosted campaign events in Waukesha County, Wis., despite local recommendations against large gatherings. We requested county officials’ communications about the event, including with the Republican National Committee, the Trump campaign, or the White House. Records we received showed that a county official said local restrictions would not be enforced, emboldening the campaign to hold a large, indoor event.
  • We sued USPS for the communications of former Postmaster General Megan Brennan, as well as assessments about Covid-19 and voting by mail. 

JULY 2020

Federal Response: On July 1, the U.S. reported a record 50,000 new Covid-19 cases in one day, and Trump said he hoped that the coronavirus would just “disappear.” 

  • On July 1, we sued the Treasury Department for records related to the Covid-19 stimulus package.
  • We requested the calendars of senior officials at HHS, the CDC, the FDA, NIAID, and other agencies to see how they were spending their time. 
  • We requested the administration’s records regarding the contract with the insurer UnitedHealth, which had been contracted to disburse $30 billion in relief money to health care providers. Records we later received showed that White House economist Stephen Parente, who had previously consulted for UnitedHealth, was invited to meetings and looped in on emails related to the contracting choice. 

Vulnerable Populations: On July 9, the TSA released data that showed that more than 1,000 TSA employees had tested positive for Covid-19, after a whistleblower described how TSA failed to protect its staff. We requested records from TSA seeking directives regarding Covid-19 safety and the communications of senior officials. 

Elections and Campaigns: After multiple Secret Service officers contracted Covid-19 as a result of Trump’s and Pence’s travel to campaign events, we asked the Secret Service for guidance regarding the mitigation efforts, assessments about the impact of presidential travel on the spread of Covid-19 among officers, and data about Covid-19 cases among officers. In August, the agency told us it had no records or reports tracking the travel’s effect on officer case numbers.

Political Opportunism: On July 31, American Oversight sued the Commerce Department and the Census Bureau for records related to the pandemic’s impact on the implementation of the 2020 census. The lawsuit came amid reports that the Census Bureau planned to end its outreach a month earlier than planned, potentially decreasing the accuracy of the count and benefiting Trump’s political party.

AUGUST 2020

Vaccines and Treatments: On Aug. 6, Trump said that a vaccine could be approved before the November election. On Aug. 11, we requested that HHS, the CDC, and the FDA provide records of top officials’ communications with Operation Warp Speed officials, some of whom had potential conflicts of interest. 

Education and Immigration: While the virus spread in schools that resumed in-person learning, the federal government reportedly was not keeping track of cases. 

SEPTEMBER 2020

Political Interference: The end of summer saw growing concerns about the politicization of science agencies, when FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn repeated Trump’s inaccurate talking points about convalescent plasma treatments. We requested the internal and external communications of three FDA political appointees and also asked for communications related to the FDA’s emergency authorization of convalescent plasma as a Covid-19 treatment, despite lack of scientific consensus. 

  • On September 12, Politico reported that HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo, who had been appointed by Trump in the spring, tried to interfere with the CDC’s scientific morbidity and mortality reports. We requested Caputo’s calendars, communications with the White House, and communications with CDC officials. 
  • In late August, the CDC had shocked health experts when it posted revised guidelines for coronavirus testing, which said that individuals without symptoms need not be tested even after being exposed to someone with the virus. On Sept. 17, the New York Times reported that those guidelines had been posted over the objections of career scientists, and on Sept. 18, the CDC reversed them. We asked the CDC for all related communications
  • Also on Sept. 18, the CDC updated guidance that acknowledged the airborne nature of coronavirus transmission, but three days later removed the language, saying it was “draft” guidance that had been posted in error. (It was finally updated in early October.) We asked for related communications

Vaccines and Treatments: The president grew more insistent that a vaccine would be available before the election — claims echoed when the CDC directed hospitals to prepare to distribute a vaccine in early November. 

  • We sent public records requests to state health officials in Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin seeking communications about distribution plans, and received records from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services in which state officials wrote that the CDC’s directive caused “a lot of confusion.”
  • We sent requests for vaccine development contracts with Pfizer, Sanofi, Novavax, and GlaxoSmithKline. 
  • In the spring, the CDC had entered into contracts with Deloitte to track the administration and distribution of vaccines and with McKesson to ship vaccines to administration sites. We requested details of the contracts and any directives to both companies, and later received copies of the CDC’s $16 million May contract with Deloitte for the Vaccine Administration Management System, a web-based application designed to be a one-stop shop for vaccine distribution, which states struggled to use. 
  • HHS approved more stringent FDA guidance regarding standards for allowing vaccines to be approved for emergency use, which the White House refused to release. We filed requests seeking a copy of the guidance

OCTOBER 2020

White House Outbreak: On Oct. 2, Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for Covid-19. Later reporting showed that the president had already tested positive the day before, a test result he did not disclose. 

  • On Oct. 2, Trump was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment. Just two days into his treatment, the president left the hospital for a drive with his Secret Service detail — a trip that risked exposing officers and Walter Reed employees to Covid-19. We asked the Secret Service for procedures for protecting agency employees during the president’s treatment for Covid-19. 
  • Days before his diagnosis, Trump had attended the presidential debate in Cleveland and had not provided test results. We asked for records reflecting the dates of his first positive and last negative result. 
  • The same day the president said he had tested positive, the city of Cleveland announced that 11 people had contracted coronavirus in connection with pre-debate planning and set-up. We later filed records requests with the Ohio Department of Health for assessments about the debate’s impact on Covid-19 spread.

Vaccines and Treatments: As the U.S. set multiple new records for daily Covid-19 cases in October, Trump officials turned their sights to a vaccine. On Oct. 25, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, “We are not going to control the pandemic.” 

  • In early October, the White House continued to block new standards for emergency authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine, and Trump cited personal conversations with Pfizer officials as he claimed a vaccine could be ready within weeks. We asked HHS, the CDC, the FDA, CMS, and OMB for senior officials’ communications with Pfizer.
  • NPR had reported in September that more than $6 billion in Operation Warp Speed contracts was routed through defense contract management firm called Advanced Technologies International, which then awarded contracts to companies working on Covid-19 vaccines. We asked HHS and the Department of Defense for copies of any agreements or contracts between ATI and leading vaccine manufacturers, including Novavax, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson & Johnson.

Communications Management: In September, HHS awarded large contracts to create a public awareness campaign to “defeat despair and inspire hope.” We asked top health agencies, including HHS and the CDC, for communications about these contracts, one of which was eventually canceled after public outcry.

 

NOVEMBER 2020

Federal Response: One day after the presidential election, the U.S. reported 100,000 new Covid-19 cases in a single day. By the end of November, the U.S. had reported 4 million cases that month. 

  • In September, Bob Woodward had released recordings from February — when the administration was advising Americans that masks were not necessary — in which Trump acknowledged the danger of the novel coronavirus and its airborne transmission. We asked multiple agencies for records from February related to airborne transmission. We also asked the DHS Office of Inspector General for DHS to provide all documents collected in the course of coronavirus-related investigations.
  • American Oversight sued HHS, the FDA, and CMS for senior officials’ pandemic-related text messages, expanding the lawsuit in February 2021 to include the CDC.

DECEMBER 2020

Political Interference: On Dec. 7, a senior CDC official told congressional investigators that Redfield had instructed staff to delete an email in which a Trump political appointee attempted to exert control over the work of career scientists. We requested a copy of the email and called on HHS and the CDC to ensure that the email and other records were preserved as required by federal law. We also asked the CDC for all directives from senior officials related to the destruction of records. 

  • In February 2021, the CDC released a copy of the email to us, which had been first published by Politico

Political Interference and Vaccines: On Dec. 10, the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee recommended that the agency grant emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older. The FDA had intended to grant its emergency authorization of Pfizer’s vaccine the morning of Dec. 12, but according to the Washington Post hurried to grant it by the evening of Dec. 11 after Meadows told Hahn to prepare to resign if the FDA delayed. We asked for communications between Meadows and Hahn during this time. 

  • We sued HHS, the CDC, the FDA, CMS, and OMB for senior officials’ communications with Pfizer. On Dec. 7, the New York Times had reported that in the late summer or fall, the Trump administration had turned down an offer from Pfizer to purchase additional doses of its vaccine.

State Issues: The nation was gripped by a massive surge in Covid-19 cases, with more than 100,000 Americans hospitalized with the disease in early December.

  • Despite surging cases, some governors refused to impose mask mandates to slow the spread of the pandemic. We submitted requests to departments of health in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and Oklahoma for risk assessments of their current Covid-19 policies, including the presence or lack of mask mandates.
  • On Dec. 9, armed police raided the home of Florida data scientist Rebekah Jones, saying they were investigating an alleged hack into a state government emergency response system. Jones was a former Florida Department of Health scientist who in May had said she’d been fired for refusing to change data to support DeSantis’ reopening plan. We filed records requests with the Florida Department of Health and the governor’s office for communications about Jones.

JANUARY 2021

State Issues: On Jan. 8, we asked the governor’s offices and health departments of Idaho, Wyoming, and North Dakota for assessments about the impact of mask mandates on statewide Covid-19 cases.

Influence and Access: While elderly Florida residents waited for hours to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, MorseLife Health System, an affluent nursing home in the state, offered vaccines to board members, wealthy donors, and members of the Palm Beach Country Club. The vaccines, provided through a federal program, were intended for people living and working in assisted living facilities. We asked Florida’s Department of Health, Division of Emergency Management, and Office of the Governor for records concerning access and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, including communications with MorseLife representatives.

FEBRUARY 2021

Vaccines and Treatments: A Feb. 5 Vanity Fair article reported that Operation Warp Speed had been beset by “bureaucratic knife fighting, gung ho hubris, and a knee-jerk aversion to strong federal action.” Meanwhile, experts called for the U.S. to significantly ratchet up its vaccine distribution. We filed requests with the Department of Defense and HHS for communications with OWS leaders, and submitted requests for OWS organizational charts.

State Issues: On Feb. 21, the Covid-19 death toll had surpassed 500,000. We continued our investigation into the disparate state responses and submitted requests to governor’s offices in Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Wyoming seeking communications containing key terms related to “herd immunity.”

Related Blog Posts

August 25, 2023

Missouri Health Dept. Quietly Removed Youth Sexual Health, LGBTQ Resources from Website, Records Show

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
September 9, 2022

News Roundup: More Revelations about Attacks on Voting Rights

July 29, 2022

News Roundup: The ‘Wild/Creative’ Fake Electors Scheme

July 12, 2022

In the Documents: Anti-Democratic Proposals Originating in the Office of Gov. DeSantis

Florida Office of the Governor
February 11, 2022

News Roundup: ‘Records Matter’

Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency
January 28, 2022

News Roundup: Cyber Ninjas CEO Sits for Deposition, Justice Department Investigating Fake Electors

January 14, 2022

News Roundup: A Coordinated Coup Attempt

Department of State
December 10, 2021

News Roundup: The Jan. 6 Committee and Mark Meadows, and the Latest in the Wisconsin Election Investigation

Department of Justice, DOJ - Office of Information Policy
December 3, 2021

News Roundup: Robin Vos and Michael Gableman’s Partisan Investigation

Wisconsin Elections Commission, Wisconsin Senate
November 4, 2021

News Roundup: The Before, During — and After — of the Jan. 6 Attack

October 26, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Boosters, Pfizer’s Contracts, and Trump’s Politicized Pandemic Food Box Program

October 12, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: 2021’s Death Toll, Private-Sector Bailouts, and Scrutiny of Trucking Company’s Pandemic Loan

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
September 30, 2021

The Trump Administration’s March 2020 Covid-19 Mailers Originally Included Mask-Wearing Guidance

Department of the Treasury
September 28, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Booster Shots, CARES Act Funds, and Trump Administration Pandemic Response

September 24, 2021

News Roundup: The Arizona ‘Audit’ Was — and Still Is — a Dangerous Political Stunt

September 16, 2021

News Roundup: The Evolution of the Big Lie

Department of State
September 14, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: The Summer Surge, Vaccine Mandates, and Masking in Schools

September 10, 2021

News Roundup: A Web of (Big) Lies

August 24, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Soaring Hospitalizations, Booster Shots, and Full Approval for Pfizer Vaccine

August 20, 2021

News Roundup: Victories for Transparency and Preparations for Disinformation

Arizona Senate, Department of Justice, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
August 13, 2021

News Roundup: Warming Planet, Surging Pandemic, and Election-Undermining Reviews

Securities and Exchange Commission, Wisconsin Senate
July 29, 2021

News Roundup: The Resurgent Pandemic and Partisan Election Reviews

Department of Justice, DOJ - Office of Information Policy
July 28, 2021

Records Reveal Private-Sector Pandemic Requests from Spring 2020

Department of the Treasury
July 28, 2021

In the Documents: The Pandemic in Florida GEO Group Prisons

Florida Department of Management Services, Florida Division of Emergency Management
July 26, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Millions Remain Unvaccinated as Delta Spreads, House Expands Investigation into Trump Administration

July 19, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Cases Rise, New Documents Show Conditions in ICE Detention Centers

July 13, 2021

New Documents Reveal More Details About Conditions in ICE Facilities During the Pandemic

DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement
July 12, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccinations Fall Along Partisan Lines, New CDC Guidance on Schools

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
July 6, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Delta Variant Spread, Pandemic Surges in Detention Centers

July 1, 2021

News Roundup: What We Already Know About the Arizona ‘Audit’

Florida Division of Emergency Management, New York Office of the Governor
July 1, 2021

In the Documents: Early Covid-19 Testing Struggles in Florida

Florida Division of Emergency Management
June 28, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: The Pandemic in Nursing Homes, Relief for Renters, and Cases Among Secret Service Officers

June 21, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Slowing Vaccine Rates, New Coronavirus Variant, and Emergent BioSolutions’ Big Year

June 17, 2021

News Roundup: From the Trump White House to Wisconsin

June 15, 2021

New Communications Offer Glimpse into U.S.-China Tensions Last Spring

Department of State
June 14, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: The Delta Variant, Vaccine Challenges, and Covid-Spreading Deportations to Guatemala

June 14, 2021

In the Documents: Covid-19’s Spread in Bureau of Indian Education Schools

Department of the Interior, DOI - Bureau of Indian Education
June 7, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: 600,000 U.S. Lives Lost, Disparities in Vaccinations

June 1, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Eligibility, Covid-19 Origins, and New Pandemic Communications

May 27, 2021

News Roundup: Sham Audits and the Fruits of Disinformation

Arizona Senate, Department of Homeland Security
May 27, 2021

New Records Include Private Executives’ Emails with Hahn, Kushner

Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
May 26, 2021

Records Show Frustration at FDA as Agency Prepared to Authorize Convalescent Plasma Treatment

HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
May 24, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Emergent BioSolutions, Hydroxychloroquine Communications, and the Pandemic in Nursing Homes

May 18, 2021

Emails from Spring 2020 Show Prominent TV Personalities Sending Requests About Hydroxychloroquine Trials

Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
May 17, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: New Mask Guidance for Vaccinated Individuals, Scrutiny of Air Purifiers Sold to Schools, and WHO Report on Global Response

May 13, 2021

News Roundup: The Jan. 6 Attack and the Big Lie

May 11, 2021

The Poultry Industry’s Influence on the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic

Department of Agriculture
May 10, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Airborne Transmission, Vaccine Patents, and State Strategies to Incentivize Vaccinations

May 6, 2021

New Details About Trump-Era Efforts to Block Pregnant Minors in Immigration Detention from Accessing Abortions

DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection
May 3, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Updated CDC Guidance, New Federal Oversight Reports, and the Struggle to Reach Herd Immunity

April 30, 2021

News Roundup: What’s Going On in Arizona?

April 29, 2021

New Documents Show CDC Officials Dealing with Early Covid Testing Problems

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
April 26, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccinations Drop, ICE Facilities Spread the Virus, and Trump Administration Misconduct

April 23, 2021

News Roundup: Stifling Dissent

April 22, 2021

The Politicized Origins of Trump-Signed Letters in Pandemic Food Boxes

Department of Agriculture
April 19, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Hurdles, New Warning from Fauci, and VA Pandemic Response

April 16, 2021

News Roundup: Racial Justice Protests, Extremism in the Military, and the Trump Administration’s Anti-Immigration Measures

April 12, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Coronavirus Variants, the Surge in Michigan, and J&J Vaccine Supplies

April 9, 2021

Newly Obtained Emails Include Private-Sector Executives’ Pandemic-Related Communications with Kushner, Mnuchin

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Treasury, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
April 5, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Increasing Case Numbers, Updated CDC Guidance, and the Pandemic in Prisons

April 1, 2021

News Roundup: Georgia’s Attack on Voting Rights

Department of Agriculture, Department of Justice, DOJ - Office of Information Policy
April 1, 2021

Bureau of Prisons Records Show Agency’s Lack of Mitigation Measures Early in the Pandemic

Department of Justice, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons
March 31, 2021

New Reports from Public Citizen Spotlight Problems in Fed’s Main Street Lending Program

Federal Reserve
March 29, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Reviewing Pandemic Relief Programs and the Vaccine vs. Variant Race

March 25, 2021

Yellen, Powell Testify About Covid-19 Stimulus, CARES Act on Capitol Hill

Department of the Treasury, Federal Reserve
March 24, 2021

One Year of the Coronavirus Pandemic: The Federal Response

March 22, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccines in Prisons, the Pandemic in Florida, and Oversight in Congress

March 19, 2021

One Year of the Coronavirus Pandemic: Covid-19 in Meat-Packing Plants

HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
March 19, 2021

Fauci, Walensky, and Top Officials Testify About Federal Pandemic Response

March 18, 2021

News Roundup: Spotlight on the States

March 18, 2021

One Year of the Coronavirus Pandemic: Covid-19 in Prisons

March 17, 2021

Documents Show Early 2020 Coronavirus Data-Tracking Disconnect Between Florida Health Department and CDC

Florida Department of Health
March 16, 2021

Investigations Update: Covid-19 in Immigration Detention, MPD’s Kettling of Protesters, and Covid-19 Liability Shields

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, District of Columbia, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, Florida - Flagler County, Georgia, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Illinois House of Representatives, New Jersey - Barnegat Township, New York - Malta, Ohio - Marysville City, Ohio - Van Wert County, Texas Department of Agriculture
March 15, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: The Pandemic’s Long-Term and Disproportionate Impacts

March 8, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Congressional Investigations, Vaccine Distribution, and New Revelations about Misused Pandemic Funds

March 5, 2021

USAID Watchdog Report Sheds Light on U.S. Ventilator Exports During Pandemic

U.S. Agency for International Development
March 4, 2021

News Roundup: The Lie Lives On

Department of Homeland Security, DHS - United States Secret Service, Ohio Department of Education, White House - Office of Management and Budget
March 2, 2021

Investigations Update: Covid-19 Outbreaks in Meatpacking Facilities, New Arizona Voting-Restriction Bills

Arizona House of Representatives, Arizona Senate, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Georgia, Georgia Building Authority, Georgia Department of Community Health, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Technology Authority, New Mexico - Otero County, Oklahoma - Canadian County, South Dakota Office of the Governor
March 2, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Increases in Vaccine Supply and Inequities in Distribution

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
February 23, 2021

Investigations Update: Texas Energy Crisis, Covid-19 in Poultry Plants, and New Legislation in Missouri

Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, DOD - Department of the Army, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Missouri House of Representatives, Missouri Senate, Texas, Texas Office of the Governor
February 22, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: 500,000 Deaths, Florida Favoritism, and Increased Vaccine Distribution

February 16, 2021

Investigations Update: State Pandemic Responses, Space Command Headquarters Location, and Trump’s Refusal to Concede

Arizona Office of the Governor, Department of Defense, Department of State, DOD - Defense Health Agency, DOD - Department of the Air Force, Florida, Florida Office of the Governor, Idaho Office of the Governor, Oklahoma Office of the Governor, U.S. Agency for Global Media, Wyoming Office of the Governor
February 15, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Updated CDC Guidance, Early Emails About Masks, and New Congressional Requests

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
February 11, 2021

News Roundup: Trump’s Second Impeachment

Department of Education, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
February 9, 2021

Investigations Update: Florida Vaccine Distribution, Anti-Protest Measures, and Trump’s Efforts to Overturn Georgia’s Election Results

Federal Election Commission, Florida, Florida Department of Health, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida House of Representatives, Florida Office of the Governor, Florida Senate, Georgia, Georgia Attorney General, National Archives and Records Administration, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Senate
February 8, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Inequity, Super Bowl Parties, and CARES Act Oversight

February 8, 2021

American Oversight Expands Lawsuit for HHS Officials’ Pandemic-Related Text Messages

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
February 4, 2021

Where Did the Money Go? A Summary of Findings from CARES Act Investigations

February 1, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: State Setbacks, Vaccine Distribution Challenges, and CARES Act Confusion

HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, White House
January 29, 2021

News Roundup: Accountability, Not Complicity

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
January 25, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Confusion, Birx and Fauci Interviews, and Biden’s Executive Actions

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
January 19, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Ongoing Vaccine Distribution Problems and the Trump Administration’s Last Week

Department of Health and Human Services
January 13, 2021

Investigations Update: The Attack on the Capitol, Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Resignation, and White House Meeting with State Attorneys General

Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, DHS - Federal Protective Service, DHS - United States Secret Service, DOD - National Guard Bureau, DOI - National Park Service, DOJ - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, Texas Attorney General
January 13, 2021

Wisconsin Official’s Emails from Spring 2020 Reveal Deep Frustration with Trump Administration over PPE Shortages

Wisconsin, Wisconsin - Waukesha County, Wisconsin Office of the Governor
January 11, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Covid-19 at the Capitol and Vaccine Confusion in the States

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
January 7, 2021

News Roundup: A Dark Day

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, White House
January 5, 2021

Covid-19 Oversight News: Lagging Vaccine Distribution and Rising Cases

December 23, 2020

Nevada Health Department Records from Summer and Fall Highlight Confusion over CDC’s Initial Vaccine Instructions

Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
December 22, 2020

Investigations Update: Voting Rights in Georgia, Trump Loyalists at the Pentagon, and Giuliani’s Dubious Investigations

Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Georgia - Athens-Clarke County, Georgia - Baldwin County, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Floyd County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia - Macon-Bibb County, Georgia - Spalding County, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
December 21, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: More Americans Receive Vaccines, A Second Relief Bill, and Congress Investigates Political Interference

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Treasury
December 17, 2020

News Roundup: The Long Month Ahead

Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
December 15, 2020

Investigations Update: Political Interference in Coronavirus Data, Texas Election Lawsuit, and State Officials’ Voter-Fraud Allegations

Arizona House of Representatives, Department of Health and Human Service, Florida Attorney General, Florida Department of Health, Florida Office of the Governor, Georgia, Georgia - Baldwin County, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Floyd County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia - Spalding County, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas, Texas Attorney General, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Elections Commission
December 14, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Distribution Begins, CDC Record Preservation, and PPP Failures

Department of Health and Human Service, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
December 11, 2020

The CDC Director Reportedly Ordered Staff to Delete Email from Trump Political Appointee — We’re Demanding the Administration Preserve Those Records

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
December 10, 2020

News Roundup: A Litany of Failures

Department of Health and Human Services
December 9, 2020

American Oversight Sues for Trump Administration Communications with Pfizer

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
December 8, 2020

Investigations Update: Preservation of White House Communications, Federally Deputized Portland Police, Trump Aide Banned from DOJ

Arizona Office of the Governor, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, DOJ - Office of Justice Programs, Florida Department of Health, Florida Office of the Governor, Georgia Department of Community Health, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Office of the Governor, Oklahoma Department of Health, Oklahoma Office of the Governor, Oregon - City of Portland, Oregon - Portland Police Bureau, Texas Secretary of State
December 8, 2020

American Oversight Documents Reveal Troubling Details About ICE’s Handling of Death in Custody

Department of Homeland Security, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement
December 7, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Vaccine Distribution, State-by-State Discrepancies, and the Worsening Crisis

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
December 3, 2020

News Roundup: As Covid-19 Rages, Trump Offers Rants and Reprieves

Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, White House
December 2, 2020

Mnuchin, Powell Appear on Capitol Hill to Discuss Lending Programs

Congress, Federal Reserve
December 1, 2020

Investigations Update: ‘Burrowing In,’ Medicaid Block Grants, and Pennsylvania County Election Certifications

Commerce - Census Bureau, Commerce - National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DOD - National Security Agency, DOJ - Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of Personnel Management, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma Office of the Governor, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania - Luzerne County
November 30, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Skyrocketing Cases, Planning for a Vaccine, and Supreme Court Ruling Against Pandemic Restrictions

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
November 25, 2020

Veterans Affairs Documents Reveal More Details About Agency’s PPE Shortages

Department of Veterans Affairs
November 23, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Rising Case Numbers, Vaccine Progress, and the Pandemic in Prisons

Department of Health and Human Service, Department of Justice, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, Government Accountability Office, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
November 19, 2020

News Roundup: Overstepping Authority and Undermining Democracy

Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, General Services Administration
November 18, 2020

Bureau of Prisons Records Provide New Details on Prison Officials’ Response to Pandemic

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
November 17, 2020

Investigations Update: ‘Sharpiegate,’ the Census, and Barr’s ‘Voter Fraud’ Investigations

Arizona House of Representatives, Commerce Office of the Inspector General, Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, District of Columbia, District of Columbia Mayor's Office, DOJ - Civil Rights Division, DOJ - Criminal Division, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, Missouri - City of St. Louis Mayor's Office, Oregon - City of Portland, Oregon - Portland Mayor's Office, Wisconsin, Wisconsin - Kenosha Mayor's Office
November 16, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Pandemic Surge, Vaccine Contracts, and Another White House Outbreak

November 13, 2020

Pfizer’s Big Vaccine Announcement

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
November 12, 2020

News Roundup: Trump’s Warped Priorities

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, General Services Administration, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
November 9, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: The Pandemic Surges, Dubious Tests and Treatments, and Change on the Horizon

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
November 2, 2020

In the Documents: White House Pandemic Communications Efforts

Department of Health and Human Services, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, White House
October 30, 2020

News Roundup: Out of Control

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Interior, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Office of Special Counsel
October 29, 2020

Open Questions About Trump Administration Policies

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, White House
October 27, 2020

Investigations Update: Poll Watchers, Vaccine Communications, and Continued Political Interference in Pandemic Response

Arizona - Pinal County, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida, Florida - Alachua County, Florida - Brevard County, Florida - Pinellas County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, HHS - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Montana Secretary of State, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Oregon - Grant County, Oregon - Morrow County, Pennsylvania - Beaver County, Small Business Administration, Texas - Dallas County, Texas - Harris County, Texas - Rockwall County, Washington - Klickitat County, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Wisconsin - Oshkosh County, Wisconsin - Waukesha County
October 22, 2020

News Roundup: Pompeo’s Emails and Barrett’s Nomination

Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, DOJ - Justice Management Division, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
October 19, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Politicization at the FDA and CDC, and the Oversight Commission’s Delayed September Report

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
October 15, 2020

News Roundup: Restricting the Vote

Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Georgia, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia Attorney General, Georgia Secretary of State
October 13, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Trump’s Florida Rally, New FDA Vaccine Guidelines, and Covid-19 in Detention Centers

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Small Business Administration
October 8, 2020

News Roundup: The Real Dangers

Arizona Office of the Governor, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, DOJ - Executive Office for Immigration Review, Florida Department of State, Georgia - Gwinnett County, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, White House
October 7, 2020

FDA Releases Covid-19 Vaccine Guidelines Following American Oversight FOIA Request

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
October 6, 2020

Investigations Update: The White House Outbreak, the Administration’s Naturalization Policy, and Texas’ Ballot Drop Boxes

Arizona Secretary of State, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Office of Legal Counsel, HHS - Administration for Children and Families, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Iowa Secretary of State, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, New Mexico Secretary of State, North Carolina, Texas, Texas Attorney General, Texas Office of the Governor, Texas Secretary of State, United States Postal Service, White House - Office of Management and Budget
October 5, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: Outbreak at the White House, Political Interference at the CDC

White House
October 2, 2020

Secretary Azar Faces Lawmakers’ Questions About Mask-Wearing, Controversial Celebrity Ad Campaign

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
October 1, 2020

News Roundup: White Nationalism, Voter Suppression, and Trump’s Taxes

Commerce - Census Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Treasury - Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Service
September 29, 2020

Investigations Update: Coronavirus Safety Measures, USAGM Lobbying, and Voting by Mail Alarmism

Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, DOD - Defense Intelligence Agency, DOJ - Civil Division, DOJ - Criminal Division, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ Office of the Inspector General, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Kentucky State Board of Elections, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. Agency for Global Media
September 24, 2020

Redfield, Fauci, Hahn Testify at Senate Hearing

HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
September 23, 2020

New GAO Report Finds Supply and Testing Shortages Are Weakening Federal Pandemic Response

Department of Health and Human Services, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
September 23, 2020

Investigations Update: New Kentucky Voter Fraud Task Force Lawsuit, and Our Supreme Court Short List Investigation

Commerce - International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, Florida, Florida Office of the Governor, Florida Supreme Court, Georgia, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia - State Records Center, Georgia Attorney General, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, United States Postal Service
September 21, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: CDC Flip-Flops, Azar’s ‘Power Grab,’ and Vaccine Trial Plans

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
September 17, 2020

News Roundup: Behind the Scenes at the Postal Service

Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Postal Service
September 17, 2020

Redfield’s Mask and Vaccine Comments Become New Target of Trump’s Rejection of Science

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
September 16, 2020

Emails Reveal Meat Industry Influence Over Government’s Pandemic Response

Department of Agriculture, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
September 15, 2020

Investigations Update: DeJoy’s Calendars, Barr’s False Voting Fraud Story, and Delays in Prescription Deliveries

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Veterans Affairs, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, United States Postal Service, VA - Veterans Health Administration
September 15, 2020

Watchdog Groups Request Information from HHS, DOD on Covid-19 Vaccine Contracts

Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services
September 10, 2020

News Roundup: What Trump Knew, and What We Know

Congress, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, State Office of the Inspector General, United States Postal Service, VA - Veterans Health Administration, White House
September 9, 2020

At Senate Hearing, Surgeon General Denies Politicization in Vaccine Process

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
September 9, 2020

Investigations Update: Pompeo’s RNC Speech, DeJoy’s Calendars, and Kentucky’s Voter Fraud Task Force

Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Interior, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DOD - Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, DOD - Defense Logistics Agency, DOI - National Park Service, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS Office of the Inspector General, Kentucky Department of Military Affairs, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, Kentucky State Board of Elections, Small Business Administration, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, United States Postal Service, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
September 8, 2020

Covid-19 Oversight News: The Administration’s Vaccine Timeline, PPP Loan Fraud, and Coronavirus Task Force Reports

Congress, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Government Accountability Office, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institutes of Health
September 1, 2020

Investigations Update: Operation Legend, Crossfire Hurricane, and the Rush for a Coronavirus Vaccine

Arizona Department of Health Services, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - National Security Division, Federal Communications Commission, Georgia - Sumter County, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, Illinois - Chicago Mayor's Office, Illinois - Chicago Police Department, Illinois - Office of the Governor, Missouri - Kansas City Mayor's Office, Missouri - Office of the Governor, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, New Mexico - Albuquerque Mayor's Office, New Mexico - Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Office of the Governor, North Carolina, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Ohio - City of Cleveland Mayor's Office, Ohio - Cleveland Division of Police, Ohio Office of the Governor, United States Postal Service, USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service, White House, Wisconsin - Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - Milwaukee Mayor's Office, Wisconsin - Milwaukee Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Office of the Governor
August 27, 2020

News Roundup: The Rules That (Don’t) Apply

DHS - United States Secret Service, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, United States Postal Service
August 25, 2020

Investigations Update: Attorney General Barr’s Conduct, Airline Industry Influence, and Trump’s Suggestion to Postpone the Election

Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Office of Legal Counsel, DOT - Federal Aviation Administration, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Postal Service
August 20, 2020

The Latest in American Oversight’s Covid-19 Investigations

Department of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, Louisiana - New Orleans Mayor's Office, Louisiana Department of Health, United States Postal Service, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
August 18, 2020

Investigations Update: Postal Service Sabotage, Covid-19 Operation Warp Speed, and Portland Protest Deployment Costs

Central Intelligence Agency, Colorado Attorney General, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Department of State, DHS - Federal Protective Service, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defense, DHS - Transportation Security Administration, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - United States Coast Guard, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, DOL - Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, White House - Office of Management and Budget
August 11, 2020

Investigations Update: Covid-19 Medical Supplies Lawsuit, Rio Grande Valley Outbreak, and Operation Legend

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DOD - National Security Agency, DOJ - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DOJ - Civil Division, DOJ - Criminal Division, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, DOJ - Office of Justice Programs, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, North Carolina Attorney General, Texas - Hidalgo County, Texas - Starr County, Texas Attorney General, Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Office of the Governor, U.S. Agency for International Development
August 6, 2020

News Roundup: The Levers of Power

Commerce - Census Bureau, Department of Justice, United States Postal Service
August 4, 2020

Investigations Update: DHS Intelligence Efforts in Portland, the Politicization of Key Government Agency, and the Pandemic’s Impact on Census

Arizona Attorney General, Commerce - Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Transportation, DHS - Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Georgia Office of the Governor, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, State Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Agency for Global Media, U.S. Election Assistance Commission
July 28, 2020

Investigations Update: ‘Burrowing In,’ Voter Fraud Task Forces, and Federal Law Enforcement

Arizona Attorney General, Arizona Office of the Governor, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Interior, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS - United States Secret Service, DHS Office of Inspector General, DOJ - Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ Office of the Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Attorney General, Florida Department of State, Florida Office of the Governor, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, Kentucky Attorney General, Kentucky Secretary of State, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Nevada Secretary of State, New York Office of the Governor, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Personnel Management, Oklahoma Attorney General, Oklahoma Office of the Governor, Oregon - Portland Independent Police Review Division, Oregon - Portland Mayor's Office, Oregon - Portland Police Bureau, Oregon Office of the Governor, Small Business Administration, U.S. Agency for Global Media, U.S. Agency for International Development, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Wisconsin Elections Commission
July 24, 2020

News Roundup: The Political Theater of ‘Operation Legend’

Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, State Office of the Inspector General
July 21, 2020

Investigations Update: Trump Administration’s Occupation of Portland, CDC Hospital Data, and the Republican Convention

California Department of Public Health, California Department of Technology, Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Florida - Jacksonville Mayor’s Office, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Management Services, Florida Office of the Governor, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Technology Authority, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, New York Office of the Governor, New York State Department of Health, New York State Office of Information Technology Services, Small Business Administration, Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Office of the Governor, Wisconsin - Waukesha County
July 17, 2020

News Roundup: Transparency in Hospital Data, and Barr’s Meetings with Giuliani and Gowdy

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, White House - Office of Management and Budget
July 14, 2020

Investigations Update: Militarization of Police, Covid-19 in Migrant Detention Centers, and Barr’s Political Interference

Central Intelligence Agency, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, DHS - Transportation Security Administration, DOD - Defense Logistics Agency, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Office of Legal Counsel, Florida - Palm Beach County, General Services Administration
July 10, 2020

News Roundup: Sidelining Safety and Science

Florida House of Representatives, Illinois - Chicago Mayor's Office, Illinois - Cook County
July 8, 2020

Investigations Update: Mike Pompeo’s Abuses of Office, Trump’s Loyalty Purges, and Caring for Uninsured Covid-19 Patients

Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Department of State, Florida House of Representatives, Florida Senate, HHS - Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, Iowa Office of the Governor, Iowa Secretary of State, National Credit Union Administration, Nevada Office of the Governor, Nevada Secretary of State, New Hampshire Office of the Governor, North Carolina House of Representatives, Office of Personnel Management, Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Office of the Governor, Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio Senate, Small Business Administration, Texas House of Representatives, Texas Office of the Governor, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Senate, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
July 2, 2020

News Roundup: ‘It’s Going to Sort of Just Disappear’

Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Treasury, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Oklahoma - Tulsa County
July 2, 2020

Tulsa Health Officials Initially Estimated Trump Rally Would Directly Lead to 2 to 9 Deaths

Oklahoma - Tulsa County
July 1, 2020

American Oversight Sues Treasury for Records Related to Coronavirus Stimulus

Department of the Treasury
June 30, 2020

Investigations Update: Family Separation, Unmarked Law Enforcement, and Trump’s Campaign Rallies

Arizona Department of Health Services, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Interior, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - Transportation Security Administration, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOD - Defense Intelligence Agency, DOD - Department of the Army, DOD - National Guard Bureau, DOI - National Park Service, DOJ - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Florida Department of Health, New Hampshire Attorney General, New Hampshire Office of the Governor, New Hampshire Secretary of State, North Carolina Department of Health, Oklahoma - Tulsa County, Oklahoma Department of Health, Securities and Exchange Commission, Texas - Cameron County, Texas - Dallas County, Texas - Nueces County, Texas - Tarrant County, Texas - Travis County, Texas Attorney General, U.S. Agency for International Development
June 23, 2020

The Federal Government’s Latest Attempt to Delay the Release of Coronavirus Documents

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
June 19, 2020

News Roundup: The Administration’s Failure to Confront Two National Crises

Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DOJ - Civil Division, DOJ - Civil Rights Division, DOT Office of Inspector General, Florida - Jacksonville Mayor’s Office, Florida Department of Health, Florida Office of the Governor, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Credit Union Administration, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Small Business Administration, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Treasury - Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, United States Postal Service, White House - Office of Science and Technology Policy, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
June 18, 2020

American Oversight Sues ICE for Records of Detention Center Complaints

DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement
June 18, 2020

New Lawsuit Seeks Records of Jared Kushner’s Failed Coronavirus Supply Chain Task Force

Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
June 17, 2020

Wisconsin Documents Offer Window into Early Uncertainty over Covid-19

Wisconsin Department of Health Services
June 12, 2020

News Roundup: Georgia’s Disastrous Election, the Administration’s Alarming Protest Response, and Barr’s Troubling Tenure

Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Interior, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - Office of Intelligence and Analysis, DHS - Transportation Security Administration, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS - United States Secret Service, District of Columbia Mayor's Office, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, DOD - Defense Intelligence Agency, DOD - Department of the Air Force, DOD - National Guard Bureau, DOI - National Park Service, DOJ - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DOJ - Civil Division, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, DOJ - Justice Management Division, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Florida - Miami-Dade County, Florida Department of State, Maryland - Baltimore Mayor's Office, Nevada Secretary of State, New Jersey Department of Human Services, New York City Department for the Aging, New York City Office of the Mayor, New York Police Department, New York State Department of Health, New York State Office for the Aging, North Carolina, North Carolina House of Representatives, North Carolina Senate, Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio Senate, State Office of the Inspector General, Texas Secretary of State, United States Postal Service, White House - Office of Management and Budget, Wisconsin Elections Commission
June 11, 2020

In the Documents: Florida Health Department Efforts to Suppress Release of Coronavirus Records

Florida - Miami-Dade County
June 5, 2020

News Roundup: Trump and Barr Unleash Attack on Protesters — and the Constitution

Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - Transportation Security Administration, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS - United States Secret Service, DOD - Department of the Army, DOD - National Guard Bureau, DOJ - Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, DOT - Federal Aviation Administration, Florida Department of State, Florida House of Representatives, Florida Office of the Governor, Florida Senate, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Washington - King County
June 5, 2020

In the Documents: Coronavirus-Related Records from Nevada and King County, Wash.

May 29, 2020

News Roundup: A Somber Week After Memorial Day

Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOD - Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, DOD - Department of the Army, DOD - National Security Agency, DOD - U.S. Department of the Navy, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, North Carolina Department of Health, North Carolina Office of the Governor, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. Agency for Global Media, Wisconsin - Brown County, Wisconsin - Dane County, Wisconsin - Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - Outagamie County, Wisconsin - Waukesha County, Wisconsin - Winnebago County
May 22, 2020

News Roundup: One Firing, Multiple Scandals

Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Interior, DOD - Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia - Athens-Clarke County, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Secretary of State, Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Small Business Administration, State Office of the Inspector General, Texas - Bexar County, Texas - Dallas County, Texas - Harris County, Texas - Travis County, Texas - Webb County, Texas Department of State Health Services, U.S. Agency for International Development, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
May 21, 2020

American Oversight Sues Administration for Documentation of Detention Center Covid Response

Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons
May 15, 2020

News Roundup: The Subversion of Justice at the Justice Department

Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOJ - Office of Legal Counsel, DOT - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia Department of Corrections, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Louisiana - New Orleans Mayor's Office, Louisiana Department of Health, Louisiana Office of the Governor, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Office of the Mayor, New York Office of the Governor, New York State Department of Health, Small Business Administration, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, United States Postal Service, White House - Office of Management and Budget, Wisconsin Elections Commission
May 15, 2020

The CDC Has Been Illegally Rejecting Valid FOIA Requests. We’re Suing.

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
May 8, 2020

News Roundup: Who Will Watch the Inspectors General?

Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - United States Coast Guard, DOD - Department of the Air Force, DOD - Department of the Army, DOD - U.S. Department of the Navy, DOD - U.S. Marine Corps, DOJ - Civil Division, DOJ - Criminal Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Election Commission, Georgia - Troup County, Georgia Attorney General, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Treasury - Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Agency for International Development, White House - Office of Management and Budget
May 6, 2020

American Oversight Sues Treasury, State and HHS for Coronavirus Communications

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services
May 1, 2020

News Roundup: Protecting the Right to Vote During a Pandemic

Arizona - Yuma County, Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Arizona Department of Homeland Security, Arizona-Mexico Commission, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida Department of State, Florida Office of the Governor, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia - Richmond County, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Indiana Secretary of State, Iowa Secretary of State, Kentucky Secretary of State, Kentucky State Board of Elections, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, New Jersey - Essex County, New Orleans, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Texas Attorney General, Texas Secretary of State, Wisconsin Elections Commission
April 30, 2020

New Documents: Calendars of HHS Officials Involved in Reversing Health Care Nondiscrimination Protections

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Administration for Children and Families
April 24, 2020

News Roundup: Miracle Drugs and Trump’s Alternate Reality

Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, Florida Department of Corrections, General Services Administration, Georgia - Albany-Dougherty County, Georgia - Chatham County, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia - Macon-Bibb County, Georgia - Muscogee County, Georgia - Richmond County, Georgia Department of Community Health, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, Illinois - Cook County, Texas Health and Human Services, USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service, VA - Veterans Health Administration, Washington - King County, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
April 23, 2020

An Update on American Oversight’s Coronavirus Investigation: New Lawsuits and Requests

Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Treasury - Internal Revenue Service, USDA - Food Safety and Inspection Service
April 17, 2020

News Roundup: Who Stands to Gain?

Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Reserve, Florida, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida Department of Health, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida Office of the Governor, Georgia - Tybee Island City, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Secretary of State, Small Business Administration, Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, Wisconsin Senate, Wisconsin State Assembly
April 10, 2020

News Roundup: Corruption and Coronavirus

Commerce - Census Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS - United States Secret Service, DOD - U.S. Department of the Navy, DOJ - Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Justice Management Division, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, DOJ - Office of Legal Counsel, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - Indian Health Service, Nevada Department of Administration, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, U.S. Agency for International Development
April 10, 2020

American Oversight Sues for Coronavirus-Related Records

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration
April 3, 2020

News Roundup: Whose Stockpile, and Which States?

California Office of the Governor, Central Intelligence Agency, Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida - Broward County, Florida - Duval County, Florida - Gadsden County, Florida - Hendry County, Florida - Jackson County, Florida - Leon County, Florida - Miami-Dade County, Florida - Osceola County, Florida Office of the Governor, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, New York Office of the Governor, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Ohio Office of the Governor, Oklahoma Department of Health, Oklahoma Office of the Governor, Texas Attorney General, Texas Office of the Governor, Washington - King County, Washington Office of the Governor, White House - Office of Management and Budget
March 30, 2020

‘We Are Flying Blind’: Health Officials’ Late February Emails Show Rising Coronavirus Concerns

Washington - King County
March 28, 2020

A Pandemic Is No Time for Secrecy

March 27, 2020

News Roundup: Transparency and Oversight Are More Important Than Ever

Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOJ - Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - National Security Division, DOJ - U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Election Commission, Florida Attorney General, Florida Department of State, Florida Office of the Governor, General Services Administration, Georgia - Bartow County, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia Office of the Governor, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Tennessee Valley Authority, Texas Attorney General, Texas Office of the Governor, Texas Secretary of State, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
March 24, 2020

We Cannot Let Trump Use a National Emergency to Get Rich and Ignore the Constitution

Congress, White House
March 23, 2020

CDC Calendars from 2018 and 2019: Pandemic-Related Briefings and Meetings

HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
March 20, 2020

News Roundup: Testing, Messaging and Missed Chances

Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Federal Communications Commission, Florida Attorney General, Georgia Attorney General, Nevada Department of Administration, Texas - Harris County, Texas Attorney General, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
March 20, 2020

An Update on American Oversight’s Coronavirus Investigation

Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Reserve, HHS - Administration for Children and Families, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, New York Office of the Governor, New York State Department of Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington - King County, Washington State Department of Health, White House - Office of Management and Budget, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
March 13, 2020

News Roundup: Continuing Our Investigation of Coronavirus Response

Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Federal Reserve, Georgia Secretary of State, Texas Secretary of State, Washington State Department of Health, Wisconsin
March 6, 2020

News Roundup: Rising Coronavirus Fears and Sinking Public Trust

Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Interior, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DOI - Bureau of Land Management, DOJ - Criminal Division, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, Federal Reserve, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Driver Services, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Administration for Children and Families, HHS - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, HHS - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, HHS - National Institutes of Health, Texas - Briscoe County, Texas - Freestone County, Texas - Hall County, Texas - Hill County, Texas - Hood County, Texas - Jones County, Texas - Kendall County, Texas - Lavaca County, Texas - Leon County, Texas - Limestone County, Texas - Loving County, Texas - Morris County, Texas - Scurry County, Texas - Starr County, Texas - Swisher County, Texas - Victoria County, Texas Secretary of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, VA - Veterans Health Administration, Washington - King County, Washington State Department of Health, White House - Office of Management and Budget, White House - Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
March 2, 2020

In the Documents: Read the Script for an HHS Anti-Obamacare Ad That Was Apparently Never Released

Department of Health and Human Services
February 28, 2020

News Roundup: Launching Our Investigation of Trump’s Authoritarian Purges

Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, DOD - National Security Agency, DOI - Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida - Hillsborough County, Florida - Leon County, Florida Department of State, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
February 21, 2020

News Roundup: The Post-Impeachment Purge and the Knock of Authoritarianism

Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Interior, Department of the Treasury, DHS - United States Secret Service, DOI - Fish and Wildlife Service, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, White House - Office of Management and Budget
February 14, 2020

News Roundup: Trump Has Learned His ‘Lesson’

Central Intelligence Agency, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, DOJ - Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, DOJ - Office of Information Policy, Federal Reserve, Florida House of Representatives, Florida Senate, Georgia - Cobb County, Georgia - DeKalb County, Georgia - Fulton County, Georgia - Gwinnett County, Georgia Secretary of State, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services, Kentucky Office of the Governor, U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Wisconsin Senate, Wisconsin State Assembly
January 17, 2020

News Roundup: The Evidence Continues to Mount

Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia - Clayton County, Georgia - Hancock County, Georgia - Jefferson County, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services
September 6, 2019

News Roundup: Trump’s Enthusiastic Support for New Drug Raises Questions

Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs, DHS - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DOJ - Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Georgia Department of Driver Services, HHS - Food and Drug Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission, Texas Attorney General, White House - Council on Environmental Quality
August 27, 2019

Investigating HHS Secretary Alex Azar’s Connections to Pharmaceutical Companies

Department of Health and Human Services
August 13, 2019

More Examples of Personal Email Use and Heavy-Handed Outside Influence at the VA

Department of Veterans Affairs
June 4, 2019

Documents Reveal Extent of Koch-Funded VA Privatization Group’s Influence

Department of Veterans Affairs
May 30, 2019

Trump Administration Appeals Court Decision Ordering It to Turn Over Communications with Congress About ACA Sabotage

Congress, Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
April 2, 2019

Federal Judge Rejects Administration’s Argument for Withholding Communications with Congress about ACA Sabotage

Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
March 8, 2019

Watchdogs Sue HHS Following Women’s Health Website Overhaul

Department of Health and Human Services
March 1, 2019

HHS Secretary Azar Calendars Show Multiple Meetings with Conservative Health-Care Groups

Department of Health and Human Services
February 21, 2019

New Lawsuit Seeks HHS Communications with Anti-Abortion Groups

Department of Health and Human Services
March 9, 2018

American Oversight Sues HHS and CMS for Verma Ethics Records

Department of Health and Human Services, HHS - Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services
October 17, 2017

Health Care Lawsuit: Fighting for Transparency

Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
September 15, 2017

Congress Enters Legal Fight to Block Release of Obamacare Repeal Emails

Congress, Department of Health and Human Services
September 13, 2017

“News to Me!” – Inside the Health Care Emails

White House - Office of Management and Budget
September 7, 2017

Third Set of Health Care Emails Again Shows Trump Administration Effort to Hide Negotiations

Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
August 2, 2017

New Health Care Documents Show Effort to Hide Details of Negotiations

Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
July 20, 2017

American Oversight Sues HHS and OMB For Secret Trump Letter Outlining Plan to Weaken Obamacare

Department of Health and Human Services, White House, White House - Office of Management and Budget
May 4, 2017

Watchdog Files Lawsuit, Seeks Injunction for HHS, OMB Health Care Negotiation Record

Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
March 23, 2017

American Oversight Demands Release of Secret Health Care Negotiations

Department of Health and Human Services, White House - Office of Management and Budget
Show all related posts