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Senate Committee Holds Hearing on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the government’s administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Titled “The Freedom of Information Act: Improving Transparency and the American Public’s Right to Know for the 21st Century,” it was the first oversight hearing held on FOIA since 2018. During the

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Records Preservation and Management

On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing that could have major implications for the country’s recordkeeping. Entitled, “Correcting the Public Record: Reforming Federal and Presidential Records Management,” the hearing explored a variety of potential reforms to strengthen the Federal Records Act (FRA) and Presidential Records Act

OTG Leads Coalition Calling for a FOIA memo

Today, Open The Government led a coalition of more than 20 organizations once again urging the Department of Justice to release a memo on the Freedom of Information Act to strengthen agencies’ compliance with the critical accountability law. Our letter includes key recommendations for best practices which a DOJ memo on FOIA should include. Last April, OTG

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Office of Special Counsel Holds HHS Accountable for its Illegal Gag Orders

Washington – An investigation by the Office of Special Counsel found that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) broke federal law when it gagged its scientist during the early outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The Special Counsel opened the investigation following a complaint submitted by Open The Government and Government Accountability Project in

Open The Government, CREW applaud reintroduction of Private Prison reform Legislation

The bill addresses lack of accountability surrounding private prisons, jails, and detention centers that house federal inmates Washington – Today, following Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Representative Jamie Raskin’s (D-Md) reintroduction of the Private Prison Information Act (S. 3164/H.R. 5853), Open The Government and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington continued to

Trump’s Latest Lawsuit Hinders Jan. 6 Accountability

On Monday, October 18, 2021, former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to block the release of records detailing his communications leading up to and during the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Directed to the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the two entities’ respective leaders,

OTG is Hiring: Policy Director & Policy Analyst Positions

OTG is the only nonpartisan coalition dedicated to advancing openness for accountability. The coalition, comprised of more than 100 partner organizations, seeks to strengthen democracy and empower the public by advancing policies that create a more open and accountable government. Founded in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, OTG has a long history of advocating

OTG Coalition, Former Government Ethics Chief Calls on White House to Release Virtual Visitor Logs

Washington – Today, Open The Government led a coalition, including 13 transparency and ethics organizations, and Walter Michael Shaub Jr., the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in urging the White House to reverse its decision not to release visitor logs for virtual visits. In a letter to legal counsel Dana Remus, the

Open The Government and Government Accountability Project Request Investigation into Illegal HHS Gag Orders

Washington – Earlier today, Open The Government and Government Accountability Project sent a letter to the Office of Special Counsel requesting an investigation into illegal gag orders issued by the political leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last summer. Our organizations wrote: “It has come to our attention that [HHS] leadership

OTG Urges NARA to Revise Proposed Changes to Electronic Records Management Regulations

Open The Government wrote a letter to the National Archives and Records Administration raising important questions about its proposed changes to its electronic records management regulations regarding standards for digitizing permanent Federal records and disposing of original source records. The full text of the letter is below. January 28, 2021 The Honorable David S. FerrieroArchivist

OTG Announces Three New Steering Committee Members

The new additions each bring a unique background of expertise and commitment to government transparency and accountability Washington, D.C. — Open The Government welcomed Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, John Yang, and Nick Chedli Carter as the newest additions to its Steering Committee. OTG’s Steering Committee consists of leaders from a cross-section of accountability organizations that provide strategic and tactical advice

Biden’s Ethics Plan Earns First Victory for Accountability Reform Advocates

(Washington) — By signing an executive order on ethics commitments for the executive branch on his first day in office, President Joe Biden demonstrated the importance of structural ethics reforms that protect the public interest rather than public officials’ gain. The executive order is a major victory for accountability experts from across the political spectrum, who

A reprehensible attack on our democracy

(Washington) — Open The Government released the following statement from Lisa Rosenberg, executive director, in response to the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier today: “The insurrection on Capitol Hill that prevented the Electoral College vote count is a reprehensible attack on our democracy and a serious threat to our nation. The First Amendment protects Americans’

CLC Calls for Biden Administration To Restore Government Accountability Through Ethics Reforms

This blog post from our friends at Campaign Legal Center on Accountability 2021 was originally published here. By Delaney MarscoDecember 2, 2020 Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has joined a nonpartisan coalition, Open the Government, in calling on the Biden administration to implement an agenda of robust ethics reforms. The agenda, called Accountability 2021, includes a broad

Open The Government is an inclusive, nonpartisan coalition that works to strengthen our democracy and empower the public by advancing policies that create a more open, accountable, and responsive government.