Press Releases

DHS Records Destruction Proposal Would Sanction Agency’s Persistent Misconduct

WASHINGTON – A coalition of transparency and accountability organizations, led by Open The Government, strongly oppose the Department of Homeland Security’s proposal to reclassify as “temporary” complaint records related to the agency’s extensive   Read Full

September 30, 2020

ODNI election security briefing changes undermine Americans’ right to know

Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open The Government, released the following statement on the Office of Director of National Intelligence’s decision to stop in-person election security briefings for Congress and provide only written intelligence reports   Read Full

September 3, 2020

New ICE/Clearview AI Contract Underscores Secrecy Around Government Facial Recognition Contractors

Following news reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed a $224,000 contract with the secretive, controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI, Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open The Government released the following   Read Full

August 18, 2020

Supreme Court’s decision on Trump’s taxes is a victory for rule of law, but the fight isn’t over

Note: The Supreme Court today ruled in favor of a New York prosecutor’s review of Trump’s personal financial records, but delayed a decision on congressional subpoenas for comprehensive personal and business   Read Full

July 9, 2020

Bill to ban facial recognition demands bipartisan support

Note: On the introduction of bicameral legislation banning federal entities from using facial recognition technology by Senators Markey and Merkley, and Reps. Jayapal, Pressley, Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open   Read Full

June 26, 2020

League of Women Voters’ CEO, Virginia Kase Joins Open The Government’s Steering Committee

Open The Government (OTG) is pleased to announce Virginia Kase is its newest steering committee member. Kase has served as the chief executive officer of League of Women Voters since   Read Full

Finally: Amazon’s Rekognition Moratorium Long Overdue

Facial Recognition Technology Regulation: A Practical Guide for Congress

Note: On Amazon’s one-year moratorium on police use of Rekognition, Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open The Government, issued the following statement: Amazon’s decision to implement this one-year moratorium on police   Read Full

June 11, 2020

Long-Lasting Police Reform Must Embrace Transparency To Be Effective

George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police is the most recent in a spate of African-Americans dying in encounters with police officers around the country. As protests over   Read Full

June 3, 2020

Not Fine: Trump continues target on IGs

On the removal of Glenn Fine as acting inspector general of the Department of Defense, and chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee appointed to oversee $2 trillion coronavirus relief   Read Full

April 13, 2020

Trump a King in His Mind

Note: On Trump’s firing of Michael Atkinson as inspector general of the intelligence community, Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open The Government, released the following statement: Trump’s decision to fire   Read Full

April 8, 2020