Author Archive
Management
Thousands of Small Business Owners Have Not Gotten Disaster Loans the Government Promised Them
A top official said 99% of funds were paid, but only 55% of small business owners reported receiving the money. Borrowers were told there was a technical glitch, but the Small Business Administration would not answer questions about it.
Oversight
Trump Friends and Family Cleared for Millions in Small Business Bailout
Beneficiaries of the PPP included a lettuce farming venture backed by Trump’s son, Kushner companies, and a dentist who golfs with the president. The figures were released after a lawsuit by several news organizations, including ProPublica.
Management
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddy Used His 'Shadow' Sway Over the VA to Promote His Comic Book Empire
Marvel chief Ike Perlmutter arranged for comic book characters to ring the NYSE closing bell with the VA secretary in 2017, according to a new government audit. Perlmutter has denied benefiting from his role as an informal adviser to President Trump.
Management
Contractors for Trump’s Controversial $3 Billion Food Aid Program Have Hired a Longtime Lobbyist to Tout Their Work
Lawmakers are asking why some federal contractors in Trump’s food aid program apparently lack qualifications to deliver the goods. Companies hired a consultant to tell positive stories.
Oversight
Wedding Planner, Caterer, 'Brand Builder': Trump’s Food Aid Program Is Paying $100+ Million to Unlicensed Dealers
Contractors with no experience in food distribution are looking for suppliers on Facebook while some food banks scramble to find desperately needed deliveries.
Oversight
Did He Talk About Her? VA Secretary Changes His Story Amid Allegations He Sought Dirt on House Staffer.
Robert Wilkie is under investigation after a complaint that he sought information to discredit a House staffer who said she was sexually assaulted in a VA hospital. Wilkie denied discussing her with Rep. Dan Crenshaw. But an email indicates he did.
Oversight
Trump Removed the Head of the Coronavirus Bailout Oversight Board. Its Members Could Be Next.
Democrats are scrambling to stop the president from replacing independent government watchdogs after he quickly pushed aside the leader of coronavirus bailout oversight.
Featured eBooks
Management
The Trump Administration Is Leaving the Nation’s Emergency Backup Hospital System on the Sidelines
Leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs say they are ready to answer the call to assist HHS or FEMA. But the call has not come.
Management
House Democrats Probe Faulty Test Kits’ Role in Delaying Coronavirus Response
The House Oversight Committee cited ProPublica’s reporting in requesting documents from the Trump administration.
Management
Key Missteps at the CDC Have Set Back Its Ability to Detect the Potential Spread of Coronavirus
The CDC designed a flawed test for COVID-19, then took weeks to figure out a fix so state and local labs could use it. New York still doesn’t trust the test’s accuracy.
Workforce
VA Secretary Under Investigation After Complaint He Looked for Dirt on a House Staffer Who Said She’d Been Assaulted
The agency’s internal watchdog told lawmakers about the probe after ProPublica unearthed the allegations against Secretary Robert Wilkie.
Management
Trump Endorsed a Risky Antidepressant for Veterans. Lawmakers Want to Know if His Mar-a-Lago Pals Had a Stake in the Drugmaker.
House Democrats requested emails and financial records as they investigate why the president told the VA to “corner the market” on a Johnson & Johnson drug.
Defense
Trump’s New Spy Chief Failed to Report $100,000 from a Group Funded by Hungary
Richard Grenell’s past clients could raise concerns about his access to state secrets, according to his own office’s rules.
Defense
Trump’s New Spy Chief Worked for a Foreign Politician Accused by the U.S. of Corruption
Richard Grenell did not disclose payments for advocacy work on behalf of a Moldovan politician whom the U.S. later accused of corruption. His own office’s policy says that could leave him vulnerable to blackmail.
Featured eBooks
Management
VA Secretary Looked for Dirt on a House Staffer Who Reported Sexual Assault in a VA Hospital, Complaint Says
VA chief Robert Wilkie called a House policy advisor’s assault allegation “unsubstantiated” even though an independent investigation found it was not.
Management
How Donald Trump Turned to a Comics Titan to Shape the VA
In a new book and an interview with ProPublica, former VA Secretary David Shulkin describes how Marvel Entertainment’s Ike Perlmutter and two associates with no government experience exerted influence over millions of veterans.
Oversight
Trump’s USDA Is Letting Factories With Troubling Safety Records Slaughter Chickens Even Faster
Workers are getting injured, but the Department of Agriculture says their safety is not its responsibility.
Management
'No Comment': Emails Show the VA Took No Action to Spare Veterans From a Harsh Trump Immigration Policy
The VA’s approach differs sharply from the Pentagon’s, which won an exemption for active-duty members of the military.
Management
Chicken Farmers Thought Trump Was Going to Help Them. Then His Administration Did the Opposite.
The Agriculture Department is barely enforcing regulations on big meat companies.
Management