American Oversight in the News

Hegseth blames ‘anonymous smears,’ Trump defends him after 2nd Signal chat revealed

ABC News

American Oversight originally filed its lawsuit over the use of Signal last month and secured an order requiring the Trump administration to preser…

New Hegseth Signal chat shows issue is widespread, watchdog suit says

NBC News

Reports that Hegseth was involved in a second Signal group chat in which he shared information about U.S. military operations in Yemen shows that t…

April 21, 2025 – Donald Trump presidency news | CNN Politics

CNN

The request from the advocacy group American Oversight comes as Hegseth faces political scrutiny for his use of the Signal chat, in which he detail…

Video Watchdog group alleges ‘widespread’ use of Signal across Trump administration

ABC News

Watchdog group American Oversight renewed its lawsuit against the Trump administration over the “widespread” use of the messaging app Signal.

Watchdog Group Asks Judge to Preserve Signal Chats by Top Trump Officials

The New York Times

The request by American Oversight came after revelations that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared information on upcoming strikes in more than on…

American Oversight wants judge to declare new Hegseth Signal chat is subject to federal records law

AP News

The Washington-based watchdog group filed a lawsuit last month against Hegseth and other top administration officials alleging violations of the Fe…

If Congress wants robust oversight powers, it must defend FOIA

Freedom of Press

A lawsuit brought by the watchdog group American Oversight uncovered that the Signalgate messages were deleted from CIA director John Ratcliffe’s p…

Michael Gableman’s career shows how court went hyper political

Wisconsin Watch

https://wisconsinwatch.org/2025/04/wisconsin-supreme-court-gableman-republican-justice-election-political-judge/

C.I.A. Director’s Messages in Leaked Chat Were Deleted, Agency Says

The New York Times

A watchdog group has said the exchanges on the Signal app were federal records, and sued in an effort to preserve them.

Here’s What Happened to Those SignalGate Messages

Wired

American Oversight, a watchdog organization whose attorneys are suing the government, claim the declarations reveal “troubling inconsistencies” in …

Signal Houthi chat messages missing from Ratcliffe’s phone

ABC News

The declaration comes after advocacy group American Oversight raised concerns that the settings on some officials’ phones might have triggered the …

What Happens When the Watchdogs Are Fired? America Is About to Find Out

US News and World Report

Chioma Chukwu, interim executive director for the nonpartisan and nonprofit watchdog American Oversight, says the IGs have been crucial in uncoveri…

Signal war plans messages disappear from CIA director’s phone

Newsweek

In a court document submitted Monday as part of a lawsuit between nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight and White House officials, Hurley V…

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who led 2020 election probe agrees to surrender law license

AP News

During a hearing before Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington on whether the records were inadvertently destroyed, Gableman accused Remington f…

Trump’s Least Favorite Judge Has Friends in High Places

The New York Times

“Then there is American Oversight v. Hegseth, a case brought by a government watchdog seeking to preserve the contents of a group chat on the Signa…

Murphy’s Law: Wisconsin a Leader in Using Signal App to Hide Public Records?

Urban Milwaukee

A lawsuit by the non-profit watchdog group American Oversight has accused Trump administration officials involved in the Signal chat of flouting th…

Mike Waltz Used Signal for More Sensitive National Security Chats: Report

Newswork

The watchdog group American Oversight has filed a lawsuit against the officials over their use of Signal, suggesting it violated the Federal Record…

Judge orders Trump officials to preserve Signal group chat communications after hearing

MSNBC News

Watchdog group American Oversight sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials following the publication on Monday of a shocking report …

Judge orders government to preserve Signal messages about Houthi military strike

AP News

“Defendants’ use of a non-classified commercial application even for such life-and-death matters as planning a military operation leads to the inev…

Trump aides pledge in court to preserve Signal messages about Yemen attack

USA Today

“Using disappearing messaging apps to plan highly sensitive military operations isn’t just a transparency problem – it’s a national security crisis…

Judge says he will order Trump administration to preserve Signal chat about strikes in Yemen

PBS News

A nonprofit watchdog, American Oversight, requested the order. A government attorney said the administration already was taking steps to collect an…

Outcry over Signal chat scandal spills into courts and Congress

The Washington Post

Pressure mounts for an investigation, and watchdog group files a lawsuit as Republicans give no indication that those in the group text will face c…

Judge orders Trump administration to preserve Signal chats

Politico

Boasberg’s order came in response to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by pro-transparency group American Oversight, claiming that the messages were in dange…

Judge orders Trump administration to keep Signal records amid Yemen attack chat controversy | CNN Politics

CNN

American Oversight, the nonprofit advocacy group that brought the records-preservation lawsuit, said Thursday’s ruling “marks an important step tow…

Judge Orders Signal Chat on Houthi Attack Plans to Be Preserved

The New York Times

Judge James E. Boasberg said top officials, including the defense secretary, the national security adviser and the secretary of state, must preserv…

White House to DOGE employees: Preserve your Signal records

Politico

The Trump administration revealed the new records retention policy in a lawsuit brought by American Oversight in February, which cited news reports…

Trump blasts Boasberg’s role in Signal chat leak lawsuit: Live Updates

Newsweek

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social early Thursday to criticize Judge James Boasberg, who was assigned to a new lawsuit involving Trump adm…

Trump administration sued over Signal chat

Good Morning America

American Oversight, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., alleging that the use of S…

Trump officials sued after using Signal to discuss Houthi attack plans

Washington Examiner

“Defendants, in their capacities as agency heads for their respective age“Defendants, in their capacities as agency heads for their respective agen…

Watchdog Sues Trump Officials Over Signal War Plans Chat

Forbes

Government watchdog group American Oversight filed a federal lawsuit against senior Trump administration officials on Tuesday for their use of the …

Gov’t watchdog sues Trump admin. over use of Signal to discuss bombing plan – UPI.com

UPI

The lawsuit, filed by American Oversight in a D.C. court on Tuesday, comes a day after The Atlantic reported its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg,…

Is the war plan group chat in legal jeopardy?

Politico

Here’s what to know about the laws that may or may not have been broken — and the possible legal fallout. They’re also already getting sued by a wa…

Trump’s cabinet broke multiple laws by using ‘disappearing’ messaging app, watchdog says

Law & Crime

American Oversight has regularly requested DoD’s communications through FOIA, including Signal messages, and it will continue to do so in the future.

Reckless Messaging Breach Alarms Oversight Group

The Seattle Medium

American Oversight condemns administration’s use of encrypted apps for military operations, citing national security risks.

Trump officials sued over Signal chat for alleged federal records laws violations

Axios

The big picture: American Oversight alleges in its lawsuit that the chat on the unclassified commercial app that mistakenly included The Atlantic’s…

Trump officials face records lawsuit over Signal chat

The Hill

The suit from American Oversight, which routinely files public records requests, said the move obstructs their ability to access government document

Trump Cabinet Officials in Group Chat Flap Face a Lawsuit

Bloomberg

Five members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet were accused in a lawsuit of violating US laws meant to safeguard government records by using the …

Watchdog group sues Signal group chat members over adherence to Federal Records Act

NBC News

Government watchdog group American Oversight sued Trump administration officials involved in a group chat discussion of military plans that mistake…

Trump administration sued over Signal chat

ABC News

According to American Oversight, the use of Signal violated the Federal Records Act and the chat reported by The Atlantic “strongly suggests” the T…

Pete Hegseth Sued After Journalist Was Added To Group Chat

Huff Post

The lawsuit, brought by the watchdog group American Oversight and first reported by HuffPost, requests that a federal judge formally declare that H…

Update from Alan Feuer

The New York Times

The watchdog group American Oversight has filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Washington seeking a judge’s order to preserve all of the Si…

Democratic oversight leader warns against staff cuts to agency FOIA offices

Government Executive

Chioma Chukwu — interim executive director of American Oversight, a nonpartisan open records nonprofit — argued that the removal represented an esc…

‘We’re not handing them out like candy’ | Judge skeptical on emergency order over USAID record destruction claims

WUSA9

On Tuesday, the nonprofit government watchdog organization American Oversight filed a lawsuit in federal court in D.C. seeking an order enforcing f…

We Found Elon Musk’s DOGE Email Address and We’re Fighting to Reveal His Messages

The Intercept

So far, the government has not filed responses to either POGO’s or American Oversight’s lawsuits. All of The Intercept’s FOIA requests for DOGE rec…

USAID order to delete classified records sparks flurry of litigation

The Hill

American Oversight, an outside watchdog group, also sued over the matter late Tuesday, arguing the document destruction would violate the Federal R…

DOGE Likely Can’t Evade Freedom of Information Law, Court Rules

The Intercept

“This ruling ensures that the Trump administration and Elon Musk cannot hide behind bureaucratic sleight of hand to evade scrutiny,” said Chioma Ch…

Opee Awards highlight highs and lows | Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Citizen Openness Advocate (Copee): American Oversight. After a years-long fight, this liberal advocacy group pried records from the probe into Wisc…

Dane County judge seeks answers from Robin Vos on limited election probe records

Wisconsin News

Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said she would not hold Vos in contempt of court, as requested by liberal watchdog group American Oversight, which has so…

Inside Trump’s federal worker firings

The Hill

Chioma Chukwu, executive director of the watchdog group American Oversight, said the action “defies logic.” “The administration fired more than a …

Multiple groups file lawsuits to get DOGE records

Government Executive

American Oversight on Feb. 11 filed a lawsuit seeking the release of any records about Musk and DOGE’s involvement in the mass firings of inspector…

Watchdog group sues for DOGE records, arguing they should be made available to public

CBS

Another watchdog, American Oversight, also sued DOGE after being denied access to its records. That lawsuit, which also tests the entity’s claim to…

Emil Bove has accused others of ethical lapses and misconduct. But he has had his own issues.

MSNBC

In a Feb. 19 letter, the nonprofit organization American Oversight requested an immediate investigation into whether Bove violated New York attorne…

Texas’ tradition of open, transparent government is in peril

The Dallas Morning News

Now American Oversight is accusing Paxton and Abbott of withholding information that it says should be public. Three years ago, the group sought te…

Ask Jordan: Can Emil Bove be disbarred?

MSNBC

The complaint comes from the watchdog group American Oversight. It argues that “a full investigation will demonstrate that Mr. Bove likely violated…

Watchdog Demands Release of ‘Critical’ Documents on Patel Ahead of Confirmation Vote | Common Dreams

Common Dreams

With a separate case filed by American Oversight in the D.C. District Court, arguing that portions of the report should be released under the Freed…

NY governor won’t oust Mayor Eric Adams but vows stricter oversight

USA Today

Bove, who has pushed for the dismissal of Adams’ charges, is the subject of a separate complaint filed by American Oversight on Thursday to the Att…

Texas Supreme Court could make Greg Abbott’s text messages public

Newsweek

American Oversight submitted several public records requests to the offices of Abbott and Paxton for communications related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Ca…

Bid For Paxton’s Jan. 6 Docs Filed In Wrong Court, AG Says – Law360

Law 360

A lawyer for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued Wednesday that Paxton shouldn’t have to face a lawsuit from a watchdog group seeking records …

Texas Justices Hint at Abbott, Paxton Win in Records Spat

Bloomberg

Some high justices indicated the group, American Oversight, can try to convince a local prosecutor to file a lawsuit to obtain those records but th…

Who is Trump’s OCR nominee, Kimberly Richey?

Inside Higher Education

But according to a résumé published by the government watchdog American Oversight, she spent the years preceding that role working with several co…

What we know about rumor Musk makes $8M per day from US government contracts

Snopes

American Oversight, a nonpartisan accountability watchdog, sued DOGE on Feb. 11 over FOIA requests relating to Musk’s “efforts to purge the federal…

The almighty Musk: How the world’s richest man became Washington’s most powerful bureaucrat

CNN

A lawsuit filed Tuesday will test the administration’s decision to designate DOGE’s internal communications as “presidential records,” keeping them…

‘The Senate Must Demand Answers’ Over Trump’s Purge of Inspectors General

Common Dreams

The letter is signed by nine groups: American Oversight; Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington; Hispanic Leadership Fund; National T…

DOGE Sued by Transparency Group Over Messages with Congress

Bloomberg Law

American Oversight, a government transparency and accountability group, says that while it sent recent FOIA requests to Musk’s Department of Govern…

Watchdog group challenges Trump’s attempt to keep DOGE records secret until 2034

CNN Politics

The case appears to be one of the first lawsuits testing the Trump administration’s argument that DOGE is not subject to the Freedom of Information…

Government watchdogs call on Senate to demand answers over Trump’s purge of inspectors general

NBC News

The letter was signed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the Project on Government Oversight, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Pub…

Judge questions DeSantis administration’s response time for public records requests

Tallahasse Democrat

DeSantis’ office actually provided all of the requested documents cited in the lawsuit before the hearing — at least, its lawyers say it did. Ameri…

Congressional response to watchdog firings hindered by GOP control, Connolly says

Government Executive

Chioma Chukwu, the interim executive director of American Oversight, said during the press call that her organization has filed Freedom of Informat…

Watchdog group to lend Hill Dems a hand on oversight

Pol

Dubbed the “Parallel Investigations Initiative,” it will look similar to what American Oversight did during the first Trump administration, when Re…

Take the Final Nail Out of the Coffin: Election Denial Isn’t Dead

The Equation

In the months leading up to November 2024, election deniers cited a myriad of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. American Oversight tracked last …

Trump Administration Sued Over Trans Military Ban

Huffington Post

In July 2017, Trump enacted the first ban on trans service members in the military, announced through a series of tweets. That decision sent shockw…

Trump Wants to Make Lawlessness into a Governing Philosophy

Verdict.Jusita

American Oversight, a nonpartisan organization committed to “advance[ing] truth, accountability, and democracy, condemned the firing of the inspect…

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Releases Revealing Investigative Report On Inadequate Care In Customs And Border Protection Facilities | United States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryS

U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

A June 2024 report from the American Civil Liberties Union, Physicians for Human Rights, and American Oversight found that 95 percent of documente…

Ethics watchdog issues conflict of interest warning to Musk’s Doge agency

The Guardian

Chioma Chukwu, the group’s interim executive director, commented: “Efforts are clearly underway to conceal information that would expose the Trump …

Lawsuit alleges Georgia election board keeps government emails private

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A lawsuit by the watchdog group American Oversight alleges the State Election Board has “systematically obstructed public records requests” for inf…

FOIA about it

Politico

The liberal watchdog group American Oversight is suing for government records involving President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Kash P…

Taxpayers continuing to pay for Gableman inquiry, this time for $241,000 in legal fees

Wisconsin State Journal

The three appellate judges — conservatives Mark Gundrum and Maria Lazar and liberal Lisa Neubauer — dismissed Vos’ argument in one of the cases tha…

Appeals Court upholds $241,000 in legal fees to liberal group over Gableman records

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An Appeals Court rejected efforts by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to block an order for the state pick up $241,000 in fees in open records lawsuits. …

“We Need to Take Away Children”

Human Rights Report

Many of the memoranda and other government documents on the development and implementation of the forcible family separation policy were disclosed …

Could This Tiny School Break Down the Wall Between Church and State

The New York Times

Records obtained by American Oversight, a watchdog group that advocates transparency in government, show that his staff circulated a draft document…

Hegseth and Collins’ push for cutting veterans health benefits alarms servicemembers and veterans groups | CNN Politics

CNN

The progressive government watchdog American Oversight also documented CVA’s influence over Trump on this issue in the early years of his first adm…

Arizona Senate renews GOP Chair’s controversial consulting contract

Herald Review

Critics, including watchdog group American Oversight, have raised concerns about her continued involvement with Voter Reference Foundation, an orga…

Texas wants court order preserving Jack Smith records after ‘shredding truck’ seen at DOJ

Law & Crime

Paxton himself is no stranger to FOIA controversy. The nonpartisan government watchdog group American Oversight has been seeking emails Paxton sent…

Setback for Greg Abbott as floating migrant barriers fail

Newsweek

According to American Oversight, a nonpartisan watchdog, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) agreed to pay a supplier $850,000 for a “barri…

Paxton still withholding communications from Jan. 6, watchdog group says

Houston Chronicle

American Oversight filed its lawsuit in June 2022, arguing the Texas Attorney General’s office and the Texas Governor’s office hadn’t released all …

Who is Stephen Miller, architect of Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans?

USA Today

American Oversight, a nonprofit dedicated to holding government accountable, has sought emails and other communications between Miller and other fe…

Matt Gaetz Controversy Explained: Senate Democrats Request FBI File As House Ethics Committee Meets About Releasing Report

Forbes

American Oversight has also separately sued the Justice Department for materials related to its Gaetz investigation, arguing there’s “an elevated a…

House Ethics Committee will not release its findings for now on Trump’s AG pick Matt Gaetz – UPI.com

UPI

It arrived as the watchdog group American Oversight took steps this week to get a federal court to force the release of records pertaining to a yea…

Playbook: The real divide roiling Democrats

Politico

The Democratic-affiliated group American Oversight is suing for FBI investigative documents, per the NYT. And further details and evidence continue…

Wisconsin regulators file complaint against former justice who led 2020 election probe

AP News

During a hearing before Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington on whether the records were inadvertently destroyed, Gableman accused Remington f…

Watchdog group asks court to release Gaetz investigation documents

The Hill

Government watchdog group American Oversight has filed a motion in federal court to compel the Justice Department to release all records related to…

Former Justice Michael Gableman faces disciplinary complaint tied to 2020 election probe

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The complaint also references a series of statements Gableman made in a Dane County courtroom to another attorney that were caught on a live microp…

Georgia Election Board’s New Rule Sparks Debate before Being Shot Down by Supreme Court of Georgia – The Signal

The Signal

This meeting did not properly notify the public per state law, and the three members were sued by American Oversight, a nonpartisan watchdog organi…

Michael Gableman accused of violating laws, ethics rules in 2020 probe

The Cap Times

The complaint alleges this violated the code of conduct, as did Gableman’s behavior during a lawsuit from the left-leaning watchdog group American …

Ex-Wisconsin justice faces disciplinary complaint tied to election probe

Newsweek

Gableman’s office is also accused in the complaint of destroying public records that had been requested by the liberal group American Oversight.

Court regulators call for sanctions against Michael Gableman for election investigation

WPR

Gableman’s election investigation was the subject of several open records lawsuits filed by liberal watchdog group American Oversight. Those result…

Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation files disciplinary complaint against Gableman • Wisconsin Examiner

Wisconsin Examiner

The fourth through seventh counts against Gableman involve actions and statements he made during open records litigation involving his investigatio…

‘Recognize the urgency’: Watchdog demands immediate release of FBI summaries in Gaetz case

Raw Story

American Oversight filed its motion Tuesday as it seeks FBI summaries of witness interviews conducted during its investigation against Gaetz, inclu…

Group Sues Justice Department for Gaetz Investigation Documents

NY Times

The motion was filed on Tuesday night by the group, American Oversight, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The F.B.I., which …

Bylaw change bars elections board members from communicating with litigants – Maryland Matters

Maryland Matters

The bylaw change follows a published report by The Baltimore Banner involving emails obtained and shared by American Oversight, an organization tha…

Revealed: Florida liberal arts college in rightwing hiring spree after takeover

The Guardian

Emails first obtained by American Oversight show that Gilley was first recommended to Corcoran not long after his appointment by “yacht lawyer” Rob…

Flaw in Right-Wing ‘Election Integrity’ App Exposes Voter-Suppression Plan and User Data

Wired

In records obtained by the nonprofit group American Oversight and shared with WIRED, in May 2024, an individual with the username “Totes Legit Vote…

Right-Wing Activists Are Pushing States to Use Their Voter Roll Purging Software

Truthout

“American Oversight’s investigation uncovered thousands of pages of public records, including emails and communications showing that the same peopl…

Watchdog group sues Georgia Election Board over private emails used for public business

The Atlanic Journal-Constitution

Earlier this year the left-leaning group American Oversight requested emails about an artificial intelligence system that conservative activists us…

Army releases report on incident involving Trump campaign aide at Arlington cemetery

NBC News

The internal documents were released by the Army after American Oversight, a government ethics and transparency group, sued to obtain the report. T…

U.S. Army releases Arlington National Cemetery docs — and redacts pretty much everything

Raw Story

The DOD released the documents to American Oversight but essentially redacted most of the information. The details list the Offense(s) as 1. Sim…

Army releases report on Trump campaign altercation at Arlington

The Washington Times

The report, released Friday, was made public because of a lawsuit from nonpartisan government watchdog group American Oversight. Much of the inform…

Heavily Redacted Police Report On Trump’s Arlington Confrontation Released

International Business Times

The 10-page report of the Aug. 26 incident was released Friday in response to a Freedom of Information request by American Oversight, a nonprofit g…

Army releases report on Trump camp’s Arlington cemetery altercation

Politico

Federal law prohibits gravesites from being used for partisan political purposes, including imagery and video. A judge ordered the Army to relea…

Redacted Trump-Arlington cemetery incident report suggests investigation ongoing

ABC News

Heavily redacted records obtained by the non-partisan watchdog organization American Oversight suggest that the altercation between an Arlington Na…

The Army of Election Officials Ready to Reject the Vote

The New York Times

And open-records lawsuits by The Arizona Republic and the nonprofit investigative group American Oversight found other donors, including Byrne’s Am…

“Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda

ProPublica

The nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight later obtained an email in which Vought pitched the “invasion” framework to Brnovich.

‘Simple Assault’: Redacted report documents Donald Trump’s contentious visit to Arlington

Law & Crime

The document was released after a federal judge ordered the Army to release documentation about Trump’s visit earlier this week. The order is part …

Army report on Trump Arlington Cemetery incident released but almost entirely redacted

MSNBC

The report was released Friday with heavy redactions in response to a court order after American Oversight, a government transparency group, filed …

‘Take Back the States’: The Far-Right Sheriffs Ready to Disrupt the Election

Wired

The conspiracies have also taken a physical turn: According to emails shared exclusively with WIRED by the nonprofit group American Oversight, Leaf…

Army report on Trump’s Arlington cemetery visit cites ‘simple assault’

The Washington Post

The redacted document was published by the nonprofit American Oversight, which had sued the federal government, and then was released several minut…

Army entirely redacts statement on Trump campaign Arlington incident

The Hill

The nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight obtained a copy of the report, which offers very few details about the incident. It lists the off…

Trump sits down for Joe Rogan interview, Harris rallies in Houston with Beyoncé

CBS News

A watchdog group, American Oversight, shared a heavily redacted Defense Department report on an incident at Arlington National Cemetery during Trum…

Army releases report about Trump campaign incident at Arlington National Cemetery

NPR

The Army has released the police report from an August altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving two campaign staffers for former Presid…

Read the heavily redacted police report describing a Trump staffer altercation at Arlington National Cemetery

PBS News

A lawsuit demanding the release of the police report was filed by Washington-based government transparency group American Oversight, and a federal …

Army releases redacted police report on altercation during Trump’s Arlington cemetery visit

AP News

Chioma Chukwu, interim executive director of American Oversight, said in a statement that the group is pleased it was able to get the report releas…

Army ordered to release records on Trump Arlington Cemetery visit

Washington Examiner

American Oversight, a government ethics watchdog group, previously asked U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman to force the Army and the Defense Depart…

Judge orders DOD to turn over records from Trump’s Arlington National Cemetery incident

ABC News

Senior Judge Paul Friedman agreed with American Oversight that the records were pertinent to the public and ordered them released by Oct. 25.

Judge orders Army to release records around Trump’s Arlington visit

Salon

In a ruling shared on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ordered the Department of Defense to turn over documents about the visit to watchd…

Judge orders Pentagon to release records of Trump controversial Arlington Cemetery visit

USA Today

Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the request Monday in response to a lawsuit brought by American…

Army Ordered to Release Records About Trump’s Arlington Cemetery Visit

Wall Street Journal

American Oversight, a government accountability group, filed a lawsuit to ensure that the Defense Department complies with a Freedom of Information…

Judge orders Army to release records on Trump Arlington National Cemetery visit by end of week

The Washington Times

Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the expedited release of the Army’s “responsive, non-exempt” re…

Judge gives Army deadline to release records on Trump Arlington visit

Newsweek

According to American Oversight, the Arlington National Cemetery has confirmed that an incident occurred and that a report was filed. The report wa…

Judge orders US Army to release records on Trump’s controversial Arlington Cemetery visit

CNN

Chioma Chukwu, the interim executive director of American Oversight, said in a press release on Tuesday that with the presidential election only tw…

Judge orders Army to expedite records about Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery

Law & Crime

“With the election just two weeks away, the American people have a clear and compelling interest in knowing how the government responded to an alle…

Judge orders U.S. Army to release documents on Trump’s visit to Arlington Cemetery – UPI.com

UPI

With the election weeks away, the American people “have a clear and compelling interest in knowing how the government responded to an alleged incid…

US army ordered to release records about Trump’s Arlington cemetery visit

The Guardian

The court order was hailed by American Oversight’s interim executive director, Chioma Chukwu, who said: “With the election just two weeks away, the…

Judge orders Army to release records related to Trump Arlington visit

The Hill

Albemarle officials bash ‘nakedly partisan screed’ against ranked-choice voting

The Daily Progress

Her work was notable enough that she was noticed by American Oversight, a government watchdog organization that sought records between Wheeler and …

Which Georgia election rules have changed, and how could that affect November vote?

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A left-leaning open government group American Oversight files a lawsuit alleging the July 12 meeting was illegal because it was called with just ov…

GOP election board members emailed activist who is trying to stop election, records show

The Baltimore Banner

Records obtained by American Oversight, a national nonpartisan good-governance watchdog, and shared with The Baltimore Banner revealed exchanges be…

His country trained him to fight. Then he turned against it. More like him are doing the same

AP News

American Oversight, a nonpartisan watchdog group, obtained the memo through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit it brought against the Pentagon a…

Heritage Foundation Faffin’ with FOIA; Hopes to Get Dope on Government Employees

Daily Kos

Numerous public interest and advocacy groups such as American Oversight, POGO, CREW, TRAC, PEER, the Center for Biological Diversity, Democracy For…

Georgia group that pushes election misinformation gains influence with election officials

CNN

Doug Logan, who was CEO of Cyber Ninjas, the firm that oversaw the problematic review of the 2020 results in Arizona’s Maricopa County, wrote in a …

After months of rewriting rules, Georgia election board meets once more before November • Georgia Recorder

Georgia Recorder

The right-wing SEB faction held a July 12 meeting that came under fire for violating the state’s open meetings and prompted a July 18 lawsuit from …

After months of rewriting rules, Georgia election board meets once more before November

Georgia Recorder

The right-wing SEB faction held a July 12 meeting that came under fire for violating the state’s open meetings and prompted a July 18 lawsuit from …

Army Ordered to Release Records on Trump’s Arlington Visit

Newsmax

American Oversight, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group dedicated to getting the government to release records, filed a lawsuit, following a Freedom of …

Army ordered to release records on Trump’s Arlington cemetery visit

Military Times

Senior Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday granted the release request as part of a lawsuit brou…

Judge finds suit against State Election Board targeted wrong defendant

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The left-leaning group American Oversight filed a lawsuit that sought to nullify the rules and fine the three election board members.

The law school dean who quietly worked to overturn the election

The Intercept

By late November 2020, Martin was helping shop the “state v. state” idea around to Republican attorneys general in at least three states — includin…

Democrats seek to force Kemp to hold hearing on Georgia election board members

WBJF

In July, government watchdog group American Oversight sued members of the board, including Jeffares, Johnston and King — all members lauded by form…

Project 2025 September 25th Update

The Global Fight Against Extremism

At the heart of this controversy is an email exchange revealed by American Oversight between Steve Bradbury, a distinguished fellow at the Heritage…

As fears over political attacks rise, diverse books disappear from shelves

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An open records request by the watchdog group American Oversight and reported by the Cobb Courier revealed the preemptive removal last summer of at…

How Janice Johnston is ‘laying the groundwork for chaos’ in Georgia’s elections

The Guardian

“Are we really going to put someone in jail because they did not respond to our questions? Is this designed to intimidate anyone who might consider…

Email Shows Project 2025 Coordinator Dangling Administration Job To Possible Contributor

Huffington Post

“Those who show real commitment and provide valuable contributions will be recognized by the leaders of the project, whose recommendations are like…

Judge in Washington Post lawsuit says Florida can’t hide cost of DeSantis’ travel

Tallahassee Democrat

Katherine Anthony, deputy chief counsel for American Oversight, another organization that advocates for public records transparency, said in a stat…

Otherwise Lost

Columbia Journalism Review

In researching the second story, O’Connell combed through internal TDA emails obtained by a nonprofit called American Oversight, which procures go…

Williams: Rewrite MLK? The Youngkin administration can’t be trusted with history.

The Richmond Times Dispatch

As recently reported by Washington Post education writer Karina Elwood, the Virginia education department in 2023 proposed numerous revisions to a …

Waste of the Day: Most ICE Custody Deaths May Have Been Preventable

Real Clear Investigations

ICE has not terminated its contracts with any of the detention centers where deaths occurred, and only three were fined, according to the report, w…

Paxton’s election fraud charges upend lives but result in few convictions

Paxton’s election integrity unit opened at least 169 cases of alleged voter fraud that appear to have resulted in just one judgment since 2016, acc…

How One Investigation Exposed an Alarming Threat to the US Election — And Why Others Should Dig Deeper

Global Investigative Journalism Network

Published FOIA archives on anti-democratic tactic communication. Glawe found key records of communications between denialist officials in the FOIA …

How One Investigation Exposed an Alarming Threat to the US Election — And Why Others Should Dig Deeper

Global Investigative Journalism Network

Published FOIA archives on anti-democratic tactic communication. Glawe found key records of communications between denialist officials in the FOIA …

Trump-approved Georgia election officials’ new rules could spur ‘doubt and suspicion’

USA Today

The three board members initially passed versions of the rules at a meeting that the state attorney general’s office warned would likely be unlawfu…

Georgia Election Board wants ‘US Citizens Only’ signs posted at polls

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“These signs aren’t just unnecessary — they also contribute to the harmful rhetoric that has a chilling effect on legal voting among immigrants and…

Local Georgia election boards gain power to refuse to certify elections

NewsNation

“The board’s anti-democratic majority has aligned itself with the election denial movement to advance partisan rules designed to cause confusion on…

Georgia Election Board wants ‘US Citizens Only’ signs posted at polls

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“These signs aren’t just unnecessary — they also contribute to the harmful rhetoric that has a chilling effect on legal voting among immigrants and…

Tarrant County’s new tech lets you see ballots, verify election results ‘from the couch’

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A coalition of groups including the League of Women Voters and American Oversight sent a letter to the Justice Department in June to protect voter …

Georgia state Election Board Republicans order 2020 reinvestigation; Donald Trump celebrates

USA Today

American Oversight, a nonprofit government watchdog, alleged in a lawsuit that the rules recently adopted by the GOP trio were unlawful because the…

January 6 was a beta test for 2025

Salon

The Board does not certify elections, however; and good government watchdogs, like American Oversight, are doing their best to keep it honest.

Trump says GA Election Board members are ‘pit bulls’ for ‘victory,’ but is that their job?

USA Today

“To the extent that Trump is that intimately aware of who is on the State Election Board and is championing them … that should raise the alarm bell…

Georgia election board passes rule that could delay election certification

Democracy Docket

Last month, the board held an illegal meeting to review new controversial election policies. But then nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight…

Jeff Landry is withholding records from the public by citing an exemption that’s not in law

The Times-Picayune

Among the groups that have denounced the change to Louisiana’s law are American Oversight and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Georgia State Election Board reconsiders measures amid legal challenge over meeting validity

Hoodline

According to AP News, the lawsuit filed by American Oversight, a liberal-leaning watchdog organization, contends that the Georgia State Election Bo…

Jay Ashcroft took over $40,000 from election-denying group, made state’s election regulations less reliable

Heartland Signal

According to documents obtained by American Oversight and published in January, Ashcroft received several emails from members of Verity Vote, an el…

State Election Board resets votes on proposed rules changes

Capitol Beat News Service

Chioma Chukwu, interim executive director of American Oversight, the group that filed the lawsuit, criticized the quick turnaround after Tuesday’s …

Georgia Election Board decides to revisit contentious votes

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The board’s move to revisit its July 18 votes comes after the left-leaning open government group American Oversight filed a lawsuit alleging the me…

Tight race puts voter confidence in play

The Current

A Washington, D.C-based government watchdog group, American Oversight, has sued the three, claiming they violated the state’s Open Meetings Act.

Georgia State Election Board to review controversial election certification rules amid legal pushback

Hoodline

The controversy stems from that July 12 meeting, where conservative board members Rick Jeffares, Janice Johnston, and Janelle King, who have public…

Georgia election board rolls back some actions after a lawsuit claimed its meeting was illegal

Associated Press

American Oversight, a liberal-leaning watchdog group, sued the board over the July 12 meeting where only board members Dr. Janice Johnston, Rick Je…

Georgia election board walks back rules approved at meeting flagged by state AG

Georgia Recorder

Tuesday’s meeting was set in the wake of a lawsuit filed by American Oversight on July 19 against conservative appointed election board members Ric…

Georgia election board walks back rules approved at meeting flagged by state AG

Georgia Recorder

Tuesday’s meeting was set in the wake of a lawsuit filed by American Oversight on July 19 against conservative appointed election board members Ric…

A closer race, and troubling questions about those supervising it

Saporta Report

Two days after American Oversight, an election watchdog group, filed suit against the board for violating the Georgia Open Meetings Act, President …

Right-wing constitutional sheriffs group looking for wins in Michigan’s election

Detroit News

Chioma Chukwu, a civil rights lawyer and interim executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit watchdog organization American Oversigh…

Lamb argues against going to trial in public records dispute

Pinal Central

In a case first brought to court on May 29, American Oversight, a watchdog organization that publishes government records deemed valuable to the pu…

Nonprofit government watchdog sues state Board of Elections

WUGA

The group American Oversight, a non-profit consisting of lawyers, researchers, and others, contends that the meeting was held without proper notice…

Court documents: Georgia State Election Board sued, accused of holding illegal meeting

Atlanta News First

American Oversight sued the board and its members, claiming the July 12 board meeting was “unlawful” and violated the Open Meetings Act.

Ga. Election Board sued, accused of holding illegal meeting

WRDW

American Oversight sued the board and its members, claiming the July 12 board meeting was “unlawful” and violated the Open Meetings Act.

NGOs urge ICE to reinstate free calls program for detainees claiming ‘disregard for basic humanity’

Latin Times

As the ACLU, American Oversight, and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) recently found, 95% of deaths in immigration detention were preventable or p…

West Virginia paid more than $900,000 sending National Guard members to Texas border in 2023

West Virginia Watch

The state of West Virginia spent more than $900,000 in 2023 sending a group of volunteers from the West Virginia National Guard to the southern bor…

Government watchdog sues Georgia election board charging GOP faction violated meeting laws

Georgia Recorder

American Oversight filed a lawsuit Friday in Fulton County Superior Court accusing conservative appointed election board members Rick Jeffares, Jan…

Georgia State Election Board accused of violating Open Meetings Act in lawsuit

Augusta Chronicle

According to the lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court by the group American Oversight, notice of the special meeting wasn’t posted until …

Georgia State Election Board meeting challenge

Democracy Docket

Lawsuit filed by American Oversight and an anonymous individual against the Georgia State Election Board and five of its members challenging the le…

An open government group is suing the State Election Board over a meeting it says was illegal

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Now the left-leaning group American Oversight seeks to void the rules and penalize the board in a lawsuit filed late Thursday in Fulton County Supe…

Extremist or hero? Meet Michigan’s freedom-loving constitutional sheriff

MLive

Groups like the SPLC, Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights and American Oversight have criticized the CSPOA philosophy as dangerous…

Emails show Republican leader’s involvement in Georgia election rules

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

But McKoon’s involvement drew criticism from Democrats and from the left-leaning open government advocacy group American Oversight.

Inside the private pressure campaign to force hand-counting of Arizona ballots

Votebeat

Other newly obtained text messages from Cochise County, which American Oversight fought for in court and shared with Votebeat, show that a state se…

The backlash against the Georgia election board’s actions is growing

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In a Monday letter to the board, the left-leaning group American Oversight, which advocates for open government, threatened to file legal action, c…

Movimiento arranca con petición para suspender centros de detención de ICE

Los Angeles Times

Los activistas destacan investigaciones recientes sobre el uso del confinamiento solitario, el abuso de inmigrantes LGBTQ y VIH positivos y las mue…

Column: Youngkin’s education agenda on the wrong side of history

Daily Press

The review was revealed in public records obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight and shared with the Washington Post.

Impromptu State Election Board meeting met with ire, jeers

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

American Oversight, a liberal watchdog group, shared a letter online that showed an open records request for emails sent about the meeting.

Lobbying World: SEC policy director joins Mindset

The Hill

Liz Hempowicz is joining American Oversight as deputy executive director.

Ohio Secretary of State office move cost $147K more than promised, watchdog says

Ohio Capital Journal

The analysis, by the progressive group American Oversight, is based on documents obtained through an open-records request.

‘Divisive concepts’ law at work: LGBTQ books pulled from Cobb schools, Shakespeare flagged for review

Cobb County Courier

An open records request by American Oversight, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, which was shared with the Courier, provided some insight in…

ACLU finds nearly all deaths in ICE custody between 2017 and 2021 were preventable

Reckon

The study, released in late June with American Oversight and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), determined that 95 percent of those deaths — includ…

Report: Migrant in detention died after waiting 50+ minutes for ambulance

WTOP News

A new study from the group, along with American Oversight and Physicians for Human Rights, found 95% of the deaths across the country could have be…

Most immigrant deaths in ICE detention were preventable… and other news on solitary confinement this week

Solitary Watch

The majority of immigrant deaths in ICE custody were preventable, a new report by the ACLU, Physicians for Human Rights, and American Oversight found.

Suit over Baker County Sheriff’s handling of ICE detainees awaits judge’s ruling

Jacksonville Today

The hearing comes within the same week as a new report released by the American Civil Liberties Union, American Oversight, and Physicians for Human…

Williams: Rewrite MLK? The Youngkin administration can’t be trusted with history.

Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Post story was based on records of the previously unreleased proposals obtained by watchdog group American Oversight and shared with the newspa…

Review of Virginia African American studies course ‘eliminates the notion of racism,’ oversight group says

WTOP News

The review was obtained by the group American Oversight through a public records request to the Virginia Department of Education.

ICE detainees suffer preventable deaths − Q&A with a medical researcher about systemic failures

The report, Deadly Failures, released on June 25, 2024, by the American Civil Liberties Union, American Oversight, and Physicians for Human Rights,…

Miller’s transphobic dress code shook ag department

Reform Austin

The non-profit American Oversight filed a FOIA request around the policy and shared it with The Texas Observer.

Informe de ACLU revela negligencia médica en muertes de migrantes bajo custodia de ICE

Contra Réplica

El informe es un proyecto conjunto de la ACLU, PHR y American Oversight, basado en el análisis de más de 14,500 páginas de documentos, la mayoría o…

Latest report on preventable deaths in ICE custody supports whistleblower disclosure

Government Accountability Project

The report, “Deadly Failures: Preventable Deaths in U.S. Immigration Detention,” published by the ACLU, American Oversight, and Physicians for Huma…

Informe revela “peligro sistemático” por muertes de inmigrantes en cárceles de ICE

Univision

El reporte fue elaborado por la Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles (ACLU, por sus siglas en inglés), American Oversight y Médicos por los Derech…

Documents reveal proposed changes to Virginia’s African American history course

WRIC

Dozens of recommended revisions to the course’s content and curriculum outline were disclosed in documents obtained by the nonpartisan watchdog non…

La “inmensa mayoría” de las muertes de inmigrantes detenidos por ICE pudieron haberse evitado, según un informe de ACLU

Telemundo

El informe de 76 páginas, un proyecto de la ACLU, Physicians for Human Rights y American Oversight, examinó las muertes de 52 personas bajo custodi…

ICE detainee deaths could have been prevented, ACLU report says

NBC News

The 76-page report, a project of the ACLU, Physicians for Human Rights and American Oversight, examines the deaths of 52 people in ICE custody from…

ICE detention center in Tacoma among those with the highest number of deaths

KNKX Public Radio

And according to a new report by the American Civil Liberties Union, American Oversight, and Physicians for Human Rights, those deaths could have l…

Most immigrant deaths in ICE detention could have been prevented

Mother Jones

Now, a new report by the ACLU, Physicians for Human Rights, and the nonprofit watchdog American Oversight reveals how “systemic failures in medical…

Report: Many recent immigration detainee deaths could have been prevented

Verite News

Three human rights organizations – American Oversight, American Civil Liberties Union and Physicians for Human Rights – teamed up to examine federa…

Informe de la ACLU revela que la mayoría de las muertes de inmigrantes detenidos por ICE podrían haberse evitado

El Tiempo Latino

Un informe de la Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles (ACLU) junto con Médicos por los Derechos Humanos y American Oversight, afirma que la mayorí…

52 people died in ICE detention. 49 were preventable, report claims

News Nation

The report, released Wednesday by the ACLU National Prison Project, Physicians for Human Rights and nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight, ex…

Nearly all deaths in ICE custody over 5 years were preventable, new report finds

Prism

The new report, “Deadly Failures: Preventable Deaths in U.S. Immigration Detention,” reviewed more than 14,500 pages of documents published by the …

New report finds majority of immigrant deaths in ICE detention could have been prevented

KJZZ

The report comes from the ACLU, American Oversight and the Physicians for Human Rights.

Virginia proposed changes to African American history course, documents show

Washington Post

The review was revealed in public records obtained by watchdog group American Oversight and shared with The Washington Post.

Transphobic dress code prompted turmoil in agriculture department, emails show

Texas Observer

Since then, the nonprofit American Oversight obtained a cache of emails pertaining to the policy through a public information request and provided …

Documents detail Republican push to force hand counts in Arizona election

Guardian

The records from Cochise county, a Republican stronghold along the US-Mexico border, only came to light after a lawsuit from a watchdog group, Amer…

Voter advocacy groups ask DOJ to step in after Texas allowed some voters’ ballots to be identified

Votebeat

The League of Women Voters of Texas, American Oversight, the Campaign Legal Center, and Southern Coalition for Social Justice cited the investigati…

The ‘chilling’ Trump plan that could pave the way for authoritarianism

HuffPost

The Office of Personnel Management — the executive branch’s human resource’s office, and the office that would be responsible for actually overseei…

New Jersey law will limit access to government records

New York Times

The nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight called the step “a shameless attempt to allow officials to hide their activities from public view.”

All the states investigating the 2020 election: Wisconsin brings charges against Trump ally Kenneth Chesebro

Forbes

Pennsylvania and New Mexico’s certificates hedged by saying they’re an alternate slate of electors just in case Biden’s win in the states was inval…

All the states investigating the 2020 election: Wisconsin brings charges against Trump ally Kenneth Chesebro

Forbes

Pennsylvania and New Mexico’s certificates hedged by saying they’re an alternate slate of electors just in case Biden’s win in the states was inval…

Request for DeSantis’ travel records leads to 2-year delay, then denial

Tampa Bay Times

A lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality was recently filed in Leon Circuit Court by American Oversight, a nonprofit government watchdog c…

Groups sue Mark Lamb seeking correspondence about election and voter fraud

Arizona Republic

The ACLU of Arizona and the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight are suing Pinal County sheriff and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Lamb over w…

Meet the MAGA billionaire hosting Trump’s Las Vegas fundraiser

Forbes

The following week, Ahern flew out to Arizona with Michael McDonald, chair of the Republican Party of Nevada, and Jesse Law, chairman of Nevada’s C…

How much does it cost DeSantis to travel from one place to another? Florida won’t tell you

Tallahassee Democrat

American Oversight, a government accountability watchdog that sued the governor’s office for alleged public records violations a couple of months a…

Texas inmates are being ‘cooked to death’ in summer heat, lawsuit alleges

NPR

Texas prisoners filed more than 4,000 heat-related complaints last year, according to the watchdog group American Oversight.

Comprehensive timeline on false electors scheme in 2020 presidential election

Just Security

The false Trump electors meet in seven states to issue their certificates, which are later published by American Oversight as a result of a FOIA re…

Office of Open Records rules Fulton County, Pa., must turn over emails, lawyer pay records

Public Opinion

In a batch of emails first obtained by the nonprofit American Oversight, Wake TSI Vice President Gene Kern asked the county’s Republican commission…

‘Danger to our democracy’: fears over Trump allies’ summit with far-right sheriffs

Guardian

American Oversight’s interim executive director, Chioma Chukwu, told the Guardian: “Nothing is more dangerous to our democracy than a movement base…

What internal CMS emails reveal about NC Parents Bill of Rights implementation

Charlotte Observer

American Oversight, a nonprofit public records watchdog, requested and received 1,029 pages of emails and attachments between CMS officials and edu…

Republican National Committee courts election conspiracy theorists to help watch polls

News from the States

According to documents obtained by the progressive group American Oversight, Valentine has worked closely with Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, a key fi…

Election fraud ‘boogeyman’: Republicans urge Utah to resign from ERIC voter roll cleanup group

Utah News Dispatch

In December, the nonprofit American Oversight, which describes itself as a “watchdog that advances truth, accountability and democracy by enforcing…

Phones of top Pentagon officials were wiped of Jan. 6 messages

The Washington Post

Court records published on the website of the watchdog group American Oversight indicate that the Pentagon “wiped” the government-issued phones of …