American Oversight (AO) is an activist and litigation organization focusing on filing open records requests targeting Republican interests, especially the administration of President Donald Trump. The organization was launched in March 2017, following and in response to the election of President Trump’s inauguration and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.[1] As of January 2019, all of its investigations and litigation are directed at Republicans; it claims to be “the top Freedom of Information Act litigator investigating the Trump administration,” with more than 1000 open records requests and 56 lawsuits filed in 2018.[2]
The group was involved in opposing the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 and filed records requests and legal actions during that summer seeking documents from Kavanaugh’s time in the George W. Bush White House and as an attorney working on the investigations of then-President Bill Clinton with the Office of the Independent Counsel (OIC).[3] [4] Announcing its desire to obtain information regarding the OIC, AO warned the records might show Kavanaugh had leaked secret grand jury information to the media while working for the OIC.[5] But once released the records produced no evidence of wrongdoing by either Kavanaugh or the OIC.[6]
While promoting itself as a “non-partisan” watchdog, American Oversight frequently appears explicitly partisan in its choice of investigative projects.[7]
In April 2018, anticipating that Democrats could take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and begin investigations of the Trump administration in January 2019, AO announced a new policy of launching “parallel” investigations that would duplicate and amplify the work of Democratic-controlled committees. This policy was not implemented for investigations conducted by Republican committees that had then been in control of Congress during AO’s entire existence.[8]
As of the end of 2018, at least 11 of American Oversight’s 17 staffers and three of its four board members have known career histories with major left-wing organizations, Democratic Party campaigns, or Democratic officials.[9]
Origins
In January 2017, dozens of high-dollar left wing political donors met at a Florida resort to hear about a proposal to produce a “steady stream of open records requests” and lawsuits against Trump, his administration and his family, as the means to generate “anti-Trump media coverage.” The overall strategy was defined as “resist the normalization of Donald Trump” with the ultimate goal to defeat him in 2020 or “through impeachment.”[10]
The creation of new organizations, such as American Oversight, was not suggested in the document. But AO’s agenda bears a striking similarity to what the document proposed, and at least two of AO’s top staff have work histories with two of the main organizations mentioned in the proposal: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and American Bridge 21st Century.[11]
A November 2017 report in the Washington Free Beacon referenced “confidential documents” it had obtained relating to a January 2017 meeting at a “posh resort” with more than 100 “liberal mega-donors” in which Clinton family-aligned operative David Brock proposed an aggressive open records effort to be aimed at the incoming Trump administration.[12]
AO claims to be “the top Freedom of Information Act litigator investigating the Trump administration,” with more than 1000 open records requests filed in 2018 – an average of four requests made every business day. In addition, it reports 56 lawsuits filed during the year (more than one per week).[13] [14] The website also provides searchable databases for both the open records documents and the overall investigations to which those documents pertain.[15] [16] While the Brock briefing document does not propose creation of new organizations, American Oversight emerged within weeks of the alleged January meeting, with a mission very similar to what was proposed in the document.
Additionally, two of AO’s key staffers have work histories with CREW and American Bridge.
Senior advisor Melanie Sloan, a former Democratic Congressional aide, co-founded CREW and served as the organization’s executive director until 2014.[17] She is also on the advisory board of Restore Public Trust, another left-wing advocacy organization involved in ethics activities against the Trump administration.[18]
Sarah Studley, AO’s investigative counsel, is a former employee of American Bridge 21st Century, a Brock-associated political committee which conducts opposition research against Republican politicians.[19]
Trump Administration Investigations
American Oversight filed its first open records request on March 1, 2017, seeking employment records from the University of Florida for Alexander Acosta, at that nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor.[20] On March 13, American Oversight issued a news release announcing its launch as a supposedly “non-partisan ethics organization.”[21]
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker
AO demanded an investigation into whether recently-named acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker had violated the Hatch Act, a federal law that precludes certain government officials from active participation in partisan political campaigns.[22] Earlier in 2018, a campaign account left over from Whitaker’s failed 2014 campaign for U.S. Senate from Iowa had received $8,800 in contributions. As of late 2018, Whitaker had an outstanding debt of $49,187 from the campaign (covered by a personal loan). The four year old account spent almost $472,000 in the failed 2014 effort, while the victorious candidate in the race and her general election rival each spent $12 million.[23] [24]
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
AO filed open records requests for personal emails between two members of the Trump family, both of whom are formal advisors to President Trump, and federal employees with whom they are communicating. Aside from speculations regarding “violations of records rules” for using private email accounts, AO does not assert any specific law breaking that may have occurred.[25]
Prohibition on Transgender Military Service
AO filed freedom of information requests seeking the details behind the July 2018 announcement from President Trump that transgender individuals would not be permitted to serve in the military. The President had cited consultations with “my Generals” and military experts as the basis for his change in policy. AO was not citing a law violation by the President, but instead seeking proof the consultation with military officers took place. [26]
Partisan Investigations
As of the end of 2018 American Oversight claimed to have filed more than 50 public records lawsuits against government agencies, was filing an average of four new public records requests every business day (more than 1000 for the year), and had already published “tens of thousands of documents” from these activities. These investigations appear to have all been directed at the Trump administration, which AO asserts “has been plagued by scandal, misconduct, and conflicts of interest,” or Republicans generally.[27] After nearly two full years in operation, there had been no discernible effort by AO to investigate or file open records requests seeking information regarding misdeeds by Democrats.
Uranium One (Hillary Clinton) Lawsuit
In February 2018 American Oversight sued the U.S. Department of Justice, seeking to “uncover the facts behind Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to reopen an investigation into Uranium One and Hillary Clinton.” AO pursued the matter to find out whether “Sessions’ participation in this matter was consistent with his recusal from all matters related to the 2016 presidential campaign.” AO stipulated this as part of its overall investigation of “the Trump administration’s attempts to politicize the Justice Department.”[28]
In early 2013 Rosatom, the Russian atomic energy agency, obtained majority ownership of Uranium One, a Canadian uranium mining company with assets in the United States. The deal made the Russian agency one of the world’s largest sources of uranium and – according to a 2015 New York Times report – brought Russian President Vladimir Putin “closer to his goal of controlling much of the global uranium supply chain.” Because of its mining interests in the U.S., approval for the deal also required oversight from the U.S. Department of State during the period when Hillary Clinton was the U.S. Secretary of State.[29]
During the period of this oversight and in the years leading up to the deal, the chairman of Uranium One made $2.35 million in donations through his family foundation to a Canadian nonprofit affiliated with the Clinton Foundation – donations not disclosed while the U.S. Department of State, then headed by Hillary Clinton, was involved in approval of the sale of uranium. Also during this period, a $500,000 fee for a Moscow speech by former President Bill Clinton was paid by a Russian investment bank with both close relations to the Russian government and a “buy” recommendation on Uranium One stock.[30]
The FBI had begun to investigate Uranium One and other matters regarding the Clinton Foundation in August 2016, during the final months of the Obama administration. Citing a meeting between the U.S. Justice Department and “senior FBI officials,” the New York Times reports they had a concern that following up further at that time “could influence the presidential race and suggest they were favoring Mr. Trump.” A decision was made to “keep the case open but wait until after the election to determine their next steps” – a decision that reportedly “infuriated” some FBI agents who believe “politics” was influencing it.[31]
Parallel Investigations Initiative
In April 2018 American Oversight introduced its Parallel Investigations Initiative. Anticipating the potential for Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2019 and a “surge in congressional oversight activity” against the Trump administration that would follow, AO announced its plan to track the investigations that might be launched by Democrats, and then file open records requests for the same information so as to duplicate the public scrutiny applied to the executive branch.[32] “The Trump administration has no idea what’s coming,” begins AO’s announcement of the parallel investigations explicitly intended to be done in tandem with Democratic-controlled congressional committees.[33]
Brett Kavanaugh Confirmation Process
During the confirmation hearings regarding future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh taking place during summer and early fall 2018, American Oversight filed several lawsuits, legal motions and freedom of information requests seeking documents regarding Kavanaugh’s previous federal employment within the White House under President George W. Bush, and while working on the investigations of President Clinton by then-independent counsel Ken Starr. AO filed its lawsuits on behalf of six Democratic U.S. Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a group seeking greater transparency from the Supreme Court. The requests and lawsuits were sent to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Independent Counsel, and the National Archives and Records Administration.[34]
One concern was an allegation that Kavanaugh had leaked grand jury secrets to the media while working on the investigation of President Clinton for the Office of Independent Counsel (OIC) Ken Starr.
The report was released shortly thereafter, but made no reference to Kavanaugh and stated the investigation had turned up no evidence of misconduct by the OIC, saying Starr’s team had “rebutted the prima facie showing that it was the source of the disclosures.”[35]
After learning the report it had demanded did not implicate Kavanaugh in wrongdoing by the OIC, and furthermore did not implicate the OIC in wrongdoing either, American Oversight responded by stating the document still did not “exonerate Judge Kavanaugh because it largely addressed a narrow time period when he was not working for the Starr Commission.”[36]
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin’s Stay at Trump Hotel
In November 2019, the Washington Post reported that Republican governor of Kentucky, Matt Bevin, had used taxpayer money to stay at President Trump’s D.C. hotel according to documents that American Oversight had obtained. While the Kentucky Republican Party had reimbursed the Kentucky state government two months after the governor’s stay, legal experts suggested that the incident violated a provision in the Constitution that prohibits states from giving the president any form of emolument. [37]
Campaign Against Corporate Complicity
After the Trump administration, Accountable.US and American Oversight announced Campaign Against Corporate Complicity, calling on American businesses to withdraw business engagements with any former Trump administration officials and to promise to never hire them. In its initial statements, the campaign denounces the administration and its officials for allegedly violating commitments of “diversity, equal justice, and integrity” as well as for endorsing “violent extremism” and “white supremacy.” [38]
The campaign claims that former president Donald Trump cited “baseless” claims to pressure political allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election and claims his “incendiary” speech incited the riot on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. It also claims that Trump “enabled” white supremacy, citing his remarks about the 2017 Charlottesville confederate statue protests and despite numerous recorded times where he denounced white supremacy. [39][40]
In an open letter to America’s CEOs, the campaign called on American businesses as “the first line of defense against normalizing hate and misconduct” to request that they “vet” former senior-level Trump administration officials to see if they are openly critical enough of Trump’s alleged transgressions against America. The letter claims that this is also necessary because it claims the Trump administration was disgraceful to America and attempted to undo America’s democracy. [41]
On Feb. 22, 2021, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to the Campaign Against Corporate Complicity requesting documents to fully disclose the reasoning of the Campaign Against Corporate Complicity, stating that it is discriminating against Trump administration officials by mischaracterizing them and that it is making “inaccurate partisan characterizations.” [42] The letter read as follows:
Mr. Austin Evers Executive Director American Oversight 1030 15th St. NW, Suite B255 Washington, D.C. 20005
Dear Mr. Evers,
We are writing to inquire about your recent joint campaign with Accountable US entitled Campaign Against Corporate Complicity, which seeks to blacklist certain Americans from employment after their public service on behalf of the federal government. [43] This campaign perpetuates disgraceful discrimination and intends to unjustly punish former federal government employees for carrying out the policy of a duly elected president—tactics that have no place in America.
Though American Oversight claims to be a “non-partisan, nonprofit ethics watchdog” [44] this campaign focuses solely on blacklisting former federal government officials solely because they worked for the President of the United States. Accountable US and American Oversight are calling on American companies to “make it clear that [they] will not hire for employment, contract for consulting, or seat on [their] boards any senior level official from the Trump administration that has participated in undermining our democracy, endorsing violent extremism, or tearing families apart.” [45] These inaccurate partisan characterizations of complex policies ignore the intricacies of developing and enforcing laws to ensure American safety—a burden borne by every administration. Additionally, these mischaracterizations discriminate against individuals because they served an administration. They are trying to deny Americans the opportunity to earn livelihoods simply because they made the sacrifice to serve on behalf of the President.
Barring and banning public servants from reentering civil employment has no place in American political discourse. As President Biden said in his inaugural address, “[f]or without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury…unity is the path forward.” The Campaign Against Corporate Complicity does just the opposite of what President Biden encouraged by treating allegedly political opponents as targets to be destroyed. In American Oversight’s campaign, these “political opponents” are public servants with a spectrum of backgrounds, experiences, and views—some are only “guilty” of being Republicans. To deny them future employment only further discourages quality candidates from serving in subsequent administrations.
To better understand the genesis and purpose behind the Campaign Against Corporate Complicity, please produce the following documents and information to the Committee no later than March 8, 2021:
- All documents and communications between American Oversight and Accountable US relating to the creation of the Campaign Against Corporate Complicity;
- All documents and communications relating to the internal process for selecting individuals targeted by the Campaign Against Corporate Complicity;
- All documents and communications used as evidence of wrongdoing against the selected individuals qualifying them for the Campaign Against Corporate Complicity;
- Any and all communications between American Oversight and the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition; and
- Any and all communications between American Oversight and the Biden-Harris Administration.
Additionally, please make arrangements to schedule a briefing on this matter with Committee staff no later than March 1, 2021. To schedule the briefing or ask any follow-up or related questions, please contact Committee on Oversight and Reform Republican staff at (202) 225-5074.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Cases
As of Feb. 25, 2021, American Oversight has issued 158 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) cases through the FOIA Project, all of which are targeting the Trump administration. [46] The FOIA project claims to be a “shaming mechanism” that allows people to hold government officials who break the law accountable. [47]
The following are all FOIA cases filed by American Oversight between 2017 and 2020: [48]
| Year | Defendents | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Department of State | A request seeking all briefing materials to then Vice President Mike Pence for his meeting with Ukranian President Zelensky in Warsaw, Poland as well as their phone call. |
| 2020 | Department of State, Central Intelligence Agency | A request to produce all whistleblower complaints submitted to the CIA Inspector General related to former Director Mike Pompeo. |
| 2020 | Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management | A request seeking email communications between Solicitor of the Interior Daniel Jorjani and named external entities. |
| 2020 | Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, Department of State | A request to produce email communications between the specifed agency officials and Senator Mitch McConnell. |
| 2020 | Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | A request seeking all email communications between the specified officials and members of the Trump administration. |
| 2020 | Election Assistance Commission | A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services | A request to produce training materials related to a 2019 pilot program for conducting asylum interviews. |
| 2020 | Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency | A request seeking communication records with members of Congress regarding high-risk, leveraged loans. |
| 2020 | Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration | A request seeking "all final directives, orders, decision memoranda, or guidance regarding testing for severe acute resipratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19." |
| 2020 | Department of State | A request seeking a copy of Standard Form 86 prepared by Ambassador Richard Grenell, seeking the contacts with Moldovan government officials. |
| 2020 | Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency | Seeking all records reflecting any guidance from the Trump administration that instructing them not to produce or share materials. |
| 2020 | Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | A request seeking all final directives and guidance from the Trump administration regarding public statements about COVID-19. |
| 2020 | Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration | A request to produce all email communication sent by the specified HHS and FDA officials that populate from a search including 34 individual search terms regarding coronavirus testing. |
| 2020 | Department of the Treasury, Department of State, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | A request seeking all email communications sent by named agency officials containing key terms related to COVID-19. |
| 2020 | Department of Justice | A request seeking documents with the potential to reveal improper political influence on the DOJ prosecution of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. |
| 2020 | Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration | Seeking records regarding the relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture |
| 2020 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services | Request for all final directives from the Trump administration regrading public statements about COVID-19. |
| 2020 | Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Treasury, Department of State, Office of Management and Budget | A request seeking all email communications between specified agency officieals and Representative Mark Meadows (R-NC) and his staff. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Justicce, Federal Bureau of Prisons | A request seeking records related to the agencies' response to COVID-19 in regards to vulnerable populations in detention centers and prisons. |
| 2020 | Department of Justice | A request seeking calendar and communication records from then Attorney General William Barr that may shed light on troubling reports. |
| 2020 | Postal Service | A request to produce all email communications between USPS Postmaster General Megan Brennan and White House officials. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense, International Development Finance Corporation | A request seeking materials related to the agencies response and readiness in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement | A request seeking record related to the named agency's COVID-19 response within detention centers. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement | A request seeking memoranda regarding enforcement of the Trump administration's zero tolerance family separation policy. |
| 2020 | Department of State | A request to produce all email communications that populate from a search containing specifically listed terms. |
| 2020 | Department of the Treasury | A request to produce all planning materials of key officials related to the coronavirus stimulus package. |
| 2020 | Office of the Director of National Intelligence | A request seeking all decision memoranda or policy interpretations adopted by Acting Director Ric Grenell. |
| 2020 | Department of State | A request to produce records related to Susan Pompeo's activities. |
| 2020 | Department of State, General Services Administration, Army, Navy | A request to produce all email communications regarding Mike Pompeo's arrangements for military housing. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement | A request seeking records related to the specified agencies' responses to the death of thirteen detainees. |
| 2020 | Census Bureau, Department of Commerce | A request seeking records related to the COVID-19 response, specifically for its planning of the decennial census. |
| 2020 | Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau | A request seeking all records reflecting any order placing then Attorney General Barr in charge of coordinating the federal response to the 2020 George Floyd, Black Lives Matter protests. |
| 2020 | Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense | A request to produce all decision memoranda related to specified instances of the agencies diverting or commandeering materials. |
| 2020 | Agency for International Development | A request to produce any calendars used by John Barsa related to his USAID positions. |
| 2020 | Department of Education | A request to produce performance agreements from the Education Secretary with the Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid from Fiscal Year 2018, 2019, and 2020. |
| 2020 | Department of Justice | A request to produceall complaints submitted to the Office of the Inspector General or the Office of Professional Responsibility containing allegations regarding the conduct of then Attorney General William Bar. |
| 2020 | Postal Service | A request for all calendars or planning materials maintained by Louis DeJoy since June 15, 2020. |
| 2020 | Postal Service | A request to produce all email communications sent by Louis DeJoy or his staff that populate from a list of named search terms. |
| 2020 | Department of Justice | A request for records reflecting communications between the Trump administration and former Justice Anthony Kennedy and any document intended to convey individuals that former Justice Kennedy was preferred to be nominated to the Supreme Court. |
| 2020 | Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service | A request seeking information regarding possible ethics violations of political appointees. |
| 2020 | Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | A request to produce communications between specified agency officials regarding COVID-19. |
| 2020 | Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | A request to produce all communications between agency officials and Pfizer. |
| 2020 | Department of Justice | A request for the approval from the Attorney General's office for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott Brady's process for receiving investigatory information from Rudy Giuliani related to former Vice President Biden. Also, a copy of the Attorney General's order directing Scott Brady to condact an investigation of information received from Rudy Giuliani that concernes former Vice President Joe Biden. |
| 2019 | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request seeking all email communication to or from the then Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. |
| 2019 | General Services Administration, National Park Services | A request for any communication records concerning the operations of the Old Post Office Tower during the government shutdown that started on December 22, 2018. |
| 2019 | Department of State | A request to produce all communications between Steve Bannon, Sean Hannitty, Raheem Kassam, and other named individuals. |
| 2019 | Department of Health and Human Services | A request seeking access to communications between specified employees of the Office for Civil Rights and specified outside groups. |
| 2019 | Department of Commerce | A request to produce records between high ranking officials and records regording Secretary Ross's ethics agreement. |
| 2019 | Department of Defense | A request seeking communications between Boeing and Trump administration officials who were previous employees of Boeing regarding ethics requirements. |
| 2019 | Department of Agriculture | A request seeking communications between USDA officials and lobbyists. |
| 2019 | Department of Health and Human Services | A request to produce all communications between the firm Hager sharp and HHS. |
| 2019 | Department of the Interior | A request seeking email communications between then Deputy Secretary Bernhardt and his former clients. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services | A request reflecting all communications with or about Stephen Miller or addressing a specific phone number. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request seeking all communications regarding the interpretation of the Wire Act. |
| 2019 | Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of the Interior, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of State, Department of the Treasury | A request to produce any calendars and schuduling records for a number of ranking officials. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request for all communications with external parties regarding judicial nominations and specified agency officials. |
| 2019 | Department of Agriculture | A request seeking records related to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue's potential conflict of interests and ethics disclosures. |
| 2019 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request seeking all communications and planning materials sent or received by any polical appointee at HUD regarding the sale of the Starrett City housing complex in 2018. |
| 2019 | Department of State, Department of Justice | A request to produce any final legal analyses or opeions related to the Office of Foreign Missions' review of any foreign government business conducted by the Trump Organization. |
| 2019 | Department of Commerce, Department of State, Department of the Treasury | A request for records of communication with and about Sheldon Adelson that reveals the extent of his influence over federal policy. |
| 2019 | Department of Labor, Department of Justice | A request seeking all communications records related to Steve Wynn for possible conflicts of interest between his business and federal rule changes. |
| 2019 | Department of Commerce, Department of State, Department of the Treasury | A reqeust for all email communications between the White House and Jared Kushner related to lobbying for casino taxes. |
| 2019 | Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice | A request seeking email communications between former Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Counselor to the Attorney General Gene Hamilton. |
| 2019 | Department of Health and Human Services | A request seeking all calendars and entries for HHS Director Shannon Royce. |
| 2019 | Department of Transportation | A request to produce planning materials for specified date ranges and individuals. |
| 2019 | Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection | A request seeking communications for specified officials related to detainees who died during or following detention by ICE or CBP. |
| 2019 | Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection | A request seeking documents related to individuals who died during or following detention by ICE or CBP. |
| 2019 | Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Agriculture, Forest Service | A request to produce all communications records between named individuals, regarding the renewal of mining leases of Twin Metals Minnesota. |
| 2019 | Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection | A request to produce training documents regarding the treatment of transgender, pregnant, and juvenile detainees. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request for all communications between Muel Miranda and political appointees within certain DOJ offices. |
| 2019 | Department of Education | A request to produce personal email communications pertaining to government businesses by Secretary Betsy DeVos. |
| 2019 | Department of State, Central Intelligence Agency | A request reflecting all email communications with non-governmental email addresses attributed to then Secretary Mike Pompeo. |
| 2019 | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | A request seeking all calendars and entries for CDC Director Robert Redfield since he joined the CDC. |
| 2019 | Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | A request for the CDC director Robert Redfield's calendar and planning materials. |
| 2019 | Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice | A request to produce documents related to the response of a heat and power outage in a Brooklyn prison. |
| 2019 | Department of the Treasury | A request seeking all email communications between Secretary Mnuchin, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and representatives of them regarding their presence on Air Force planes. |
| 2019 | Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency | A request seeking communication records between agency officials and individuals with influence over the Trump administration and involved in real estate investing. |
| 2019 | Department of Homeland Security | A request to produce all calendar entries for Katharine Gorka. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request for access to records reflecting communications between then Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his staff members, and U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John Huber. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request for access to communication records between the then Office of the Attorney General of Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the District of Connectiut John Durham and his staff. |
| 2019 | Department of Health and Human Services | A request seeking all records of communication between HHS Secretary Alex Azar, former employees, and affiliated individuals. |
| 2019 | Department of State | A request seeking all communications sent by State department officials while traveling with U.S. delegates to the Middle East in late February 2019. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request for all communication records between DOJ politicall appointees and named White House Counsel staff regarding the oversight of the executive branch. |
| 2019 | Department of the Treasury, Department of Commerce, General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request seeking all communications between political appointees from the Department of the Treasury and White House Counsel staff regarding congressional oversight of the executive branch. |
| 2019 | Department of State | A request to produce all communication records between Rudolph Giuliani, victoria Toensing, Joseph diGenova, and named State department officials. |
| 2019 | Department of Education | A request seeking any conflict of interests for former President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals Steven Menashi. |
| 2019 | Department of State | All records reflecting communications between Rudolph Giuliani, Victoria Toensing, Jospeh diGenova, and Kurt Volker. |
| 2019 | Department of Energy | A request to produce any information regarding whistleblower complaints from the intelligence community regarding a July 25, 2019 telephone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. |
| 2019 | Office of Management and Budget | Expedite the the processing of a previous FOIA request and provide updated results of the search. Additionally, it is A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2019 | Department of Agriculture | A request to produce communications and meeting records between USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and her affiliates. |
| 2019 | Department of Defense, Office of Management and Budget | A request to produce any communications between agency employees and acting comptroller Elaine McCusker or officials realted to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. |
| 2019 | Department of State | A request to produce all communications between Rudolph Giuliani, Sam Kislin, Victoria Toensing, Jospeh diGenova, and Gordon Sondland. |
| 2019 | Citizenship and Immigration Services | A request seeking planning, calendar, and other communications from USCIS Director Kenneth Cuccinelli. |
| 2019 | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of State, and Department of Agriculture | A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2019 | Department of Justice | A request for all records reflecting communications between specified DOJ officials and Rudolph Giuliani, Sam Kislin, Victoria Toensing, or Joseph diGenova. |
| 2019 | Department of the Treasury | A request seeking all communications of political appointees in the Office of the Secreatary. |
| 2019 | Department of the Treasury | A request seeking all communications between the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and specified external organizations. |
| 2019 | Department of State | A request to produce records that reveal to what extent State department activities or policies have been affected by the business interest of then President Donal Trump. |
| 2018 | Department of Health and Human Services | A request seeking any records that are required by polical apointees or career employees to sign prior to employment. |
| 2018 | General Services Administration | A request to produce any documentation of possible conflicts of interest between My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, his donations to the Trump presidential campaign, and his contract with the GSA. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request seeking all communications from Chief of Staff Jody Hunt that discusses the then ongoing investigation where he could be expresssing views about the outcome. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request for access to records related to the decision to grant media members access to private text messages of former Secretar of State Hillary Clinton when she was under investigation for her private email use. |
| 2018 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request for all documentation regarding expenditures related to office renovations. |
| 2018 | Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection | A request to produce all communications pertaining to the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall per Executive Order 13767. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request for records reflecting any ethics or recusal obligations to the Attorney General's particpation in connection with the investigation of Congressman Robert Goodlatte's letters. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request seeking all communications and records between Jesse Panuccio and any party regarding the specified cases. |
| 2018 | Environmental Protection Agency | A request for communication records from Scott Pruitt for potential wrongdoing. |
| 2018 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request seeking documents that would shed light on matters of significant public concern regarding HUD's expenditures on office renovations. |
| 2018 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request to produce documents related to the travel expenses of HUD Secretary Ben Carson's family members that would shed light on matters of public concern on the effects of personal relationships within the Trump administration on government activities. |
| 2018 | Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environemntal Protection Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Agriculture | A request to produce any calendars and schuduling records for a number of ranking officials. |
| 2018 | Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | A request to produce materials that could potentially reveal conflicts of interests for CMS Administrator Seema Verma. |
| 2018 | Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, General Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security | A request to produce records and communications related to potential renovations. |
| 2018 | Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, General Services Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Trasnportation, Department of the Treasury, Office of Management and Budget | A request seeking records to identify any employees who were politically appointed by the president, career employees in leadership positions, individuals who joined the agency at the beginning of the Trump administration, and any ethics waivers. |
| 2018 | Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, General Services Administration | A request seeking documents regarding concerns of travel expenses paid for at the expense of taxpayers. |
| 2018 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request seeking all records of communication between Secretary Ben Carson, political appointees, career staff, and specified private companies. |
| 2018 | Environmental Protection Agency | A request seeking records of waivers for final determinations either approving or denying EPA Adminstrator Scott pruitt's first class airplane travel. |
| 2018 | Department of the Interior | A request to produce all records reflecting communications regarding offshore drilling between named officials. |
| 2018 | Department of Transportation | A request to produce all recoreds of communications between members of the Immediate Office of the Secretary and Senator Mitch McConnell regarding the drafting of legislation. |
| 2018 | Department of State | A request seeking all email communications between North Korea and top U.S. officials. |
| 2018 | Customs and Border Protection | A request to produce emails related to social media posts with the hashtage "CatchOfTheDay. |
| 2018 | Department of Homeland Security | A request to produce materials related to a #CatchOfTheDay post by U.S. Customs and Border Protection offical Twitter account. |
| 2018 | Department of Education | A request seeking documents that reveal conflict of interests regarding Secretary Bets DeVos' confirmation. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request for a copy of the Attorney General William Barr's order directing U.S. Attorney John Durham to conduct an investigation of any matters outside his ordinary jurisdiction. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Communications Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | A request seeking all communication records between political appointees and stated agency officials. |
| 2018 | Department of the Interior | A request for the Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to produce documentation of compliance with ethics standards. |
| 2018 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request to have documents related to the Trump administration blocking the OIG from learning statements made by the president in meetings regarding the FBI Headquarters project. |
| 2018 | General Services Administration | A request to produce all records of communications between specified individuals regarding the FBI headquearters consolidation project. |
| 2018 | General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Justice, and Federal Bureau of Investigation | A request for all meeting notes and follow-up notes related to the FBI Headquarters Consolidation Project from White House Meetings. |
| 2018 | Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense | A request for communication records that reveal any influence of private associates of former President Trump and the advocacy group Concerned Veternas for America. |
| 2018 | Department of State | A request seeking documents that define to what extent high-ranking State department officials were targeting career civil service employees for ideological differences. |
| 2018 | Department of State | A request seeking all records of guidance from the Trump administration, Kushner Companies, or affiliated organizations. |
| 2018 | Department of Education | A request seeking records regarding certain top Department of Education policy decisions. |
| 2018 | Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Homeland Security | A request seeking emails to or from Jared Kushner's personal email and those acting on his behalf. |
| 2018 | Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | A request seeking access to to record regarding the "Capacity Report Update" from January 2017. |
| 2018 | Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services | A request seeking all email communications with specified organizations and people where people were carbon copied. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice | A request for access to all email communications between a number of groups and individuals who allegedly were carbon copied or blind carbon copied. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Protections, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Management and Budget | A request for records to identify total costs of implementing the family separation policy for FY 2018 and 2019. Also, a request seeking records that identify the programs from which funds for housing and reuniting children separated from their parents have been diverted. |
| 2018 | Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services | A request for all email communications to or form specific senior Trump administration officials that populate under a number of search terms. |
| 2017 | Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation | Requesting documents showing evidence of the FBI wiretapping former President Donald Trump under the direction of former president Barack Obama. |
| 2017 | Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation | A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2017 | Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Management and Budget | A request to produce all communications between HHS and Congress about health care reform, regarding the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. |
| 2017 | Department of Justice | A request seeking access to records reflecting any disqualifications of former president Donald Trump's nominee Noel Francisco and any documents revealing ethics conflicts. |
| 2017 | Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, Small Business Administration | A request for documents that demonstrate Ivanka Trump's role in the Trump Administration. |
| 2017 | Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Energy, Department of the Treasury | A request to produce all records that identify employees who were named as polical appointees since Jamuary 20, 2017. |
| 2017 | Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Department of the Interior, Office Management and Budget | A request to produce records pertaining to the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall per Executive Order 13767. |
| 2017 | Environmental Protection Agency | A request seeking all comunications between named individuals and any trade group with an interest in pesticides. |
| 2017 | Environmental Protection Agency | A request for communication and planning records of Scott Pruitt for potential conflicts of interests with conventional energy firms. |
| 2017 | General Services Administration | A request to produce any communications between then President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign regarding the impact of his candidacy for the lease of the Old Post Office Building. |
| 2017 | Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Management and Budget | A request seeking an alleged document sent by former President Trump and congressional Republicans regarding regulatory action for the Affordable Care Act. |
| 2017 | Department of the Treasury | A request seeking access to all communications between the Treasury and Congressman Jeb Hensarling and other key staff related to financial regulation. |
| 2017 | Department of the Treasury, Office of Management and Budget | Expedite the the processing of a previous FOIA request and provide updated results of the search. Additionally, it is A request to produce all non-exempt records responsive to a previous American Oversight FOIA request and any justifying the witholding of responsive records held under claim of exemption. |
| 2017 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | A request seeking documents that would shed light on matters of significant public concern regarding HUD's activities and operations, including any of the agency's official decisions on policies and procedures. |
| 2017 | Department of Labor | A request seeking all Calendar and materials related to former President Donald Trump reversing Obama-era regulations. |
| 2017 | Department of State | A request seeking all diplomatic communications with Mexico regarding the U.S.-Mexico border wall. |
| 2017 | Environmental Protection Agency | A request seeking access to records of expenditures for renovations by individuals in Senate-confirmed postitions as well as pertaining communications. |
| 2017 | Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army, Department of the Navy | A request seeking any reccomedations from top Trump administration and military officials regarding his decision to ban transgender persons from the military. |
Leadership
Officers
The senior leadership staff of American Oversight consists of executive director Austin Evers and senior advisor Melanie Sloan. [49] As of December 2018 there were 17 additional employees listed on the website, many with work histories as left wing activists, campaign staff from the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign, and former Obama administration officials.[50]
Austin Evers is the executive director for AO and its founder. He is a former senior counsel to the Obama administration’s State Department.[51]
Melanie Sloan, AO’s senior advisor, is a former congressional staffer and the founder of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). She previously worked for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York), former Sen. Joe Biden (D-Delaware), and former Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan). She is also on the advisory board of Restore Public Trust.[52]
John Bies is chief counsel. He spent seven years in the U.S. Department of Justice as deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel for the Obama administration, where his responsibility was to advise “executive branch officials on FOIA, congressional oversight, executive privilege, ethics, separation of powers, and other constitutional, statutory, and administrative law issues.”[53]
Ty Diringer is AO’s deputy director for outreach and operations and a former staffer from the 2016 Hillary for America campaign.[54]
Miranda Keating is AO’s investigations director. She formerly served as a research director for People for the American Way.[55]
Clark Pettig is AO’s communications director. He was a press secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Obama administration and a communications staffer for the Obama 2012 reelection campaign.[56]
Sarah Studley is AO’s investigative counsel. She is a previous employee of the Michigan State Senate Democrats and American Bridge 21st Century.[57]
Cerissa Cafasso is a lawyer for AO. Her prior post was in the Obama administration as counselor to the deputy secretary and counsel to the solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor.[58]
Shine Cho is a researcher for AO. She previously worked for “an opposition research firm supporting progressive campaigns in the 2018 midterm elections.”[59]
Amanda Teuscher is AO’s web editor and former managing editor at the left-wing American Prospect magazine.[60]
Lane Corrigan is a communications associate at AO. She previously interned for the Democratic staff of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and at the Project On Government Oversight.[61]
Board of Directors
American Oversight’s board of directors includes Caroline Fredrickson, president of the American Constitution Society and formerly general counsel for NARAL Pro-Choice America; Kyle Herrig, a director at the New Venture Fund, a major donor to left-wing organizations; and Kathleen Clark, an associate reporter for the American Law Institute.[62]