American Oversight

Washington, DC May 5, 2020 – Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today sued the Trump administration for failing to release emails sent by two dozen top officials related to the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit, filed against the Departments of the Treasury, State, and Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as […]

Washington, DC, April 23, 2020 –  Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration for failing to release records related to the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuits seek records of White House efforts to control public information about the pandemic as well as emails of senior […]

January 17, 2020 -No matter how much the administration stonewalls, new evidence in the Ukraine investigation continues to emerge.  This week, the House released records handed over by Lev Parnas, the Rudy Giuliani associate who had been deeply involved in the smear campaign against former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. In extraordinary interviews with Rachel […]

November 22, 2019 – On Friday evening, the State Department released nearly 100 pages of records in response to American Oversight’s lawsuit seeking a range of documents related to the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine. Among other records, the production includes emails that confirm multiple contacts in March of 2019 between Secretary of State Mike […]

Washington, DC, Oct. 23, 2019 — Today a federal judge said that he will order the State Department to produce Urkaine-related documents requested by American Oversight within 30 days. American Oversight sued the State Department to release records including senior officials’ communications with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani or discussing efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate one […]

Washington, DC, Oct. 1, 2019 –  Nonpartisan watchdog American Oversight today sued the State Department to compel the release of Rudy Giuliani’s communications with senior department officials as well as other communications about any attempt to pressure Ukraine to investigate 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden or his son. The lawsuit also seeks records regarding the […]

Washington, DC, Aug. 21, 2019 – Today, Democracy Forward and American Oversight sued Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie for failing to recover and preserve emails his predecessor, David Shulkin, sent from a personal account used to conduct government business with outside advisors. Shulkin specifically created this private email account to shield his discussions of VA business […]

Washington, DC, July 23, 2019 — Non-partisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today filed a lawsuit to investigate whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been subject to inappropriate external influences during his tenure in the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Secretary Pompeo was reported to be considering a run for a Senate seat in Kansas in […]

Washington, DC, June 25, 2019 –  Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today sued the Trump administration to compel the release of records related to mining leases granted to Twin Metals Minnesota — a subsidiary of the Chilean mining giant Antofagasta PLC, which is run by the family of billionaire Andrónico Luksic, Ivanka Trump and Jared […]

Boston, Massachusetts April 23, 2019 – Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight and the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts today sued the Department of Homeland Security to compel the release of a border security plan submitted by the Department to Congress. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, aims […]

Washington, DC, Feb. 5, 2019 — Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today filed a lawsuit to shed light on the Trump administration’s decision to use federal funding to re-open the Old Post Office Tower during last month’s record-long government shutdown. The tower in downtown Washington, D.C. is attached to the Trump International Hotel, in which President […]

Washington, DC January 29, 2019 – Today, American Oversight and Democracy Forward submitted a comment objecting to the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) proposed changes to the processing of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Among other changes, the proposal, announced last month, purports to: Authorize DOI to deny requests that specifically identify the records requested […]

Washington, DC January 25, 2019 – Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today launched a campaign soliciting tips from federal workers to identify government records showing evidence of misconduct or corruption. American Oversight will use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to force the release of the documents. “What we know about the Trump administration is […]

Washington, DC, Jan. 17, 2019 –  Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight released the following statement in response to President Trump’s reported attempt to divert hurricane relief funds from Puerto Rico: “This would be unbelievable if it weren’t becoming the hallmark of the Trump presidency: petty abuse of power to settle political scores, regardless of how […]

Washington, DC, Dec. 5, 2018 – Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight yesterday filed multiple lawsuits to shed light on the development and implementation of the Trump administration’s family separation policy. The suits target four federal agencies and their components and seek a wide range of records including budget documents, communications with congressional leaders, and information about […]

Washington, DC November 21, 2018 – Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today called on multiple federal offices to open investigations regarding Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker’s newly released public financial disclosure forms (PFDs). On Wednesday morning, American Oversight submitted one complaint to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) alleging potential violations of the Hatch Act; […]

Washington, DC, Nov. 7, 2018 – Nonpartisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today sued the Department of State to uncover evidence of alleged political retaliation. This is the watchdog’s eighth suit in its Parallel Investigations Initiative, which aims to amplify congressional oversight by targeting records that will likely also be sought in committee investigations after the […]