POGO: Read: Our track record

May 06, 2026

A REMINDER OF THE OVERSIGHT OF POGO THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED....

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Our government is in crisis. The fundamental rights guaranteed to you by the Constitution are under attack. The checks and balances that form the foundation of our three-branch system have fallen out of equilibrium. The guardrails against executive overreach are faltering.

2026 is bound to bring new challenges. As we prepare for what lies ahead, your support will help determine what we accomplish next.

In all this uncertainty, we know that a donation is not a small ask this holiday season. To convince you that your investment is making a real difference, here’s a snapshot of what we’ve accomplished just this year.

Some of our biggest hits:

Taking DOGE and the president to court: When the Trump administration declared that DOGE was not subject to the Federal Records Act, effectively shielding its records from the public for up to 12 years after the president leaves office, POGO sued. With DOGE’s history — brandishing pervasive and unchecked power, taking a bulldozer to numerous agencies and contracts that touch your life, seizing access to some of the government’s most critical personal data about you, and displaying a shocking disregard for the law — you deserve to know all of what it is doing and why.
Exposing Stephen Miller’s surveillance stock: In June, POGO’s investigations desk uncovered that Stephen Miller (the Trump administration’s deputy chief of staff for policy, a key homeland security advisor, and one of the most powerful people in our federal government today) held a previously unreported financial stake in surveillance tech giant Palantir. The breaking news dominated national headlines and, ultimately, Miller sold most, if not all, of the stock his family owned in Palantir. You deserve to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that government officials are serving your interests and not pursuing financial gain.
“Page Not Found”: In February, the Trump administration quietly took down a public database and tool that provided crucial information about how the executive branch is spending congressionally appropriated funds. POGO helped pass a law creating that database in the first place, so we weren’t going to let the White House undo that crucial transparency reform without a fight. After a campaign of pressure and with help from supporters like you, a court ordered the White House to get the database back online. It was a critical restitution and proof that when we hold strong in our demands for answers and accountability, we succeed.
Showing Paul Ingrassia the door: During his first few days in office, President Trump fired Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) — a watchdog that protects whistleblowers and federal employees from retaliation. Paul Ingrassia, the administration’s nominee to replace him, was horribly unfit and unqualified for the role, displaying an active disrespect for civil servants, touting hyperpartisan beliefs, and making comments that raised serious questions about his judgment and character. We rallied a broad coalition of good government groups to raise alarm and the president later withdrew his nomination. With the nonpartisan civil service under attack, you deserve a watchdog who is committed to investigating wrongdoing and holding bad actors accountable.
Exposing a military housing crisis: POGO’s series of investigations into the conditions in military housing didn’t just gain national recognition for excellence in investigating reporting — they had real-world impact. After our bombshell investigation into terrible conditions in barracks and family housing at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the military committed to replace and rebuild the housing and even released a timeline for project completion. Our troops make enormous sacrifices to defend our country. Safe housing is a basic need, and the government must meet it.
Training congressional staffers: Since 2014, we have trained more than 5,800 Hill staffers — Republicans and Democrats, from both the House and the Senate — on the art and skill of oversight, one of Congress’s most important constitutional responsibilities. This year alone, we conducted nine monthly trainings attended by 559 staffers, nine customized trainings serving 124 staffers, and two two-day intensive oversight boot camps that trained 51 staffers. These sessions provided practical guidance on best practices in oversight and investigations, created space for veteran staffers to pass on vital institutional knowledge, and offered newer staff the opportunity to ask questions and build confidence in their oversight roles. A well-equipped class of Hill staffers means a Congress capable of holding the executive branch accountable — something you deserve no matter which party or administration is in office.

We’re not just at the front lines of this movement to defend democracy and fix what’s broken in our government. We are driving progress and securing substantial wins. But we need you with us.

To root out waste, fraud, and corruption from the recesses of our government; to insist on accountability and transparency; to curb abuse of power; to strengthen checks and balances; to defend constitutional rights and freedoms; to protect your voice in government; and to defend democracy at a pivotal moment in our country’s history:

— POGO