Tag Archives: Project on Government Oversight

‘Authoritarianism 101’: Trump Plot to Purge Civil Servants If Reelected Draws Alarm

“Do not underestimate the destruction this will cause,” said one critic.

By Julia Conley  Published 7-22-2022 by Common Dreams

Photo: Trump White House Archives (Public domain)

Government watchdogs on Friday warned that a plan by former President Donald Trump to drastically remake the federal workforce should he win the presidency in 2024 would “utterly destroy” public service in the United States.

As Axios reported Friday, central to Trump’s plans for a second term is the reinstatement of his executive order known as “Schedule F,” which established a new category of federal employees. Continue reading

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‘Huge News’ as Congress Tightens Ethics Rules for Federal Judges

It’s “vital legislation that will boost public trust in the judiciary and codify judicial ethics,” said one watchdog group.

By Andrea Germanos  Published 4-27-2022 by Common Dreams

Photo: wp paarz/flickr/CC

Ethics watchdogs on Wednesday welcomed passage of legislation tightening financial disclosure requirements for federal judges as a step toward addressing a widespread crisis that still requires broader reforms.

The legislation is the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act, which takes on “the alarming lack of transparency in the personal financial holdings of federal judges, and the conflicts—or appearance of conflicts—those holdings can create in the cases those judges are asked to decide,” as the House Judiciary Democrats put it. Continue reading

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Investigations of US Drone Attack That Killed 10 Afghans Find No Evidence of Explosives in Vehicle

“The Pentagon has some serious explaining to do,” said one reporter. “Now consider how many strikes go unexamined by Western media.”

By Kenny Stancil, staff writer for Common Dreams.  {oblished 9-11-2021

Photo: Dr. Keith Rose/Twitter

The last known missile launched by the U.S. during its 20-year war in Afghanistan—the August 29 drone attack in a Kabul neighborhood that killed 10 civilians—was described by Gen. Mark Milley as a “righteous strike” that targeted a parked vehicle suspected of holding explosives, along with the driver and another man suspected of having militant ties.

A pair of investigations published Friday, however, revealed that—contrary to the Pentagon’s claims—there were no bombs in the car, the men accused of “suspicious” behavior were engaged in peaceful activities related to the driver’s job, and there were eight additional defenseless victims in the vicinity of the sedan destroyed by a missile fired after several hours of surveillance. Continue reading

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