About Us - American Oversight

American Oversight is a nonpartisan watchdog organization that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public’s right to government records. Through a nationwide network of state and local partners, we conduct oversight at every level of government. Combining local knowledge with national perspective, we identify emerging threats before they become national controversies, uncover hidden patterns across jurisdictions, and expose misconduct that might otherwise escape public scrutiny.

We conduct investigations using public records, open-source research, and aggressive litigation to preserve evidence, prevent the destruction of government records, force the disclosure of information that officials would rather keep secret, and expose abuses of power. By bringing hidden facts to light, we equip journalists, advocates, lawmakers, and communities with the information they need to hold the government accountable.

Pillars of our work

Protecting

democratic institutions

Exposing efforts that weaken democracy and public accountability.

Defending

civil rights & liberties

Defending constitutional rights and exposing government overreach.

challenging

abuses of power

Investigating misconduct, corruption, and abuses of public office.

advancing

government transparency

Ensuring the public has access to information about government actions and decisions.

Our impact

In 2025, American Oversight fought hard to defend our democracy. We won legal challenges, exposed wrongdoing, built key partnerships, led coalitions, and helped shape the public narrative. And it mattered. It moved courts, spurred congressional action, and disrupted abuses of power that would have otherwise stayed hidden.

Get in touch

Uncovering the paper trail — emails, calendars, text messages, and more — can shine a light on government misconduct, but it rarely tells the full story. That’s why we make our findings available online, and we’re always looking for ways to help journalists, government watchdogs, and independent organizations hold our leaders accountable.

Press

Are you covering a story that we’re investigating or do you have questions about using public records to support your reporting?

Get In touch & See Recent stories

Partners

We work with dozens of organizations to magnify our impact, at the federal level and in almost every state.

Learn More about partner collaborations

Our Leadership

American Oversight is a team of more than 30 lawyers, investigators, and communicators working across the country to expose misconduct and hold the government accountable.

meet the people who set the vision

Careers

American Oversight is always looking for new team members to help us hold the government accountable.

See current openings and get in touch