Celebrating truth-tellers

 

One of the core issues we work on here at POGO is protections for truth-tellers. Ensuring that individuals can come forward and raise concerns about wrongdoing without fear of retaliation is key to an accountable federal government. This Wednesday, we’re co-sponsoring an event that honors the courageous truth-tellers who risk it all in the hopes of strengthening our democracy. The 19th Annual Ridenhour Prizes will celebrate five individuals who have spoken truth to power, whether it was by exposing wrongdoing they witnessed or by telling stories that defend the public interest or highlight a more just vision of society. This year’s honorees include Anita Hill and the former Twitter employee who anonymously testified before the January 6 committee, and you can learn about all of the nominees on the Ridenhour website. You can attend the event either in person in Washington, D.C. or virtually. No matter which way you choose to participate, you’ll leave the event inspired by the incredible honorees. Secure your spot at this great event now. We look forward to seeing you there! NEW FROM POGO The Bridge: POGO's Weekly Explainer Wade through the jargon and get straight to the key insights with POGO's Spurthi Kontham. Subscribe to the fresh approach now and read the first edition below. INVESTIGATION DHS Watchdog Staff Call on Biden to Fire Inspector General Cuffari Insiders within the Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog office decry Inspector General Joseph Cuffari’s impact on their oversight efforts and urge President Biden to fire him. Read More ANALYSIS Use of Chinese Material in F-35 Highlights Pentagon’s Complexity Problem Pentagon leaders paused delivery of new F-35s after revealing a supplier had used a Chinese-made alloy in a component. The program’s complexity created the need for vast numbers of suppliers, which made this development almost inevitable. Read More ANALYSIS The First Hybrid Oversight Boot Camp At the first hybrid Oversight Boot Camp, 35 staffers from 18 different congressional committees learned how to successfully conduct a congressional oversight investigation. Read More ANALYSIS The Bridge: Blow the Whistle Truth-telling is an act worth protecting — and there’s a “close to perfect” bill that’s promising to do just that. Read More QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Both sides are being hypocrites, which is unfortunate. ... At the end of the day, serious issues aren't being looked at or will be looked at through a partisan lens that doesn't serve the public.” Tim Stretton, Director of The Congressional Oversight Initiative, in Washington Examiner OVERHEARD ONE LINERS “What you’re talking about is politicizing the civil service and doing away with objective, impartial, nonpartisan government service… in favor of a 2 million-person workforce that is potentially more loyal to a politician than the Constitution.” Walter Shaub, Senior Ethics Fellow, in The Daily Beast   “Through almost every administration, what changes is in the margins … You get an administration that comes in that says, ‘We want you to … put more resources to it, release more information here or there,’ [generate] a little bit of improvement maybe …” Sean Moulton, Senior Policy Analyst, in Real Clear Investigations   “I think it's clear from my public comments that I remain skeptical (about movement on a congressional stock trading ban).” Walter Shaub, Senior Ethics Fellow, in Business Insider   “Government is only as effective as it is open and accessible. ... This means that government records, including financial disclosures filed by elected officials, must be easy to find and easy to understand.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Manager, in Business Insider Enjoyed this weekend’s edition of the Weekly Spotlight? Forward to a friend. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Welcome! 👋 Subscribe here.   WANT MORE FROM POGO? Eyes on the federal government from every angle:   Paper Trail: Quick links to the news in the world of government oversight The Bunker: Military intelligence from POGO's Mark Thompson The Bridge: Analysis on the latest in government ethics from Walt Shaub Sidebar: Key context on the latest constitutional news from the TCP team Click here to update your newsletter subscriptions.   🎧 The Continuous Action Podcast 📺 YouTube 📱 Instagram 💸 Support our work

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

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