Congress is taking notice

 NOT NEW BUT WORTH REPEATING!

October 30, 2021

This week, we saw some real momentum on one of the core issues we focus on: reducing conflicts of interest in the courts. Congress held a hearing on judicial ethics prompted by a blockbuster Wall Street Journal report revealing that more than 130 judges failed to recuse themselves from cases that involved companies in which the judges or their families owned stock. POGO’s Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette testified as part of the hearing this week. He urged Congress to improve reporting requirements when it comes to financial holdings, increase transparency around recusal decisions, and establish a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Congress is listening. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate have crafted draft legislation that would improve reporting requirements to help judges avoid conflicts of interest. These are reforms we called for earlier this year, and we’re thrilled Congress is taking notice. INVESTIGATION At Least Half of Panel Advising Congress on Drug Policy had Undisclosed Ties to Drug Makers A report requested by Congress must have been music to the ears of drug companies. It didn’t mention that several people who prepared it had ties to drug makers. Read More ANALYSIS A Small Step Forward A recent legal memo from an unlikely source could help empower congressional oversight. Read More OP-ED The Supreme Court is broken and needs to be reformed The Supreme Court's reputation has been sullied by deeply contentious confirmation processes and polarizing rulings. Term limits alone wouldn't solve these problems. We need to give individual justices less power. Read More LETTER Amicus Brief: Reed v. Goertz DNA testing could prove Rodney Reed is innocent. The Supreme Court must step in to ensure justice is served. Read More TESTIMONY Increasing Transparency and Accountability in the Judicial Branch Government Affairs Manager Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette testified before House members to share POGO’s recommendations for bolstering judicial ethics and increasing public trust in the judiciary. Read More QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Without transparency in courts, you cannot have legitimacy in the courts.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Manager, in Reuters OVERHEARD ONE LINERS “If the F-35 was working properly as a program, this kind of letter would not need to be written.” Dan Grazier, Jack Shanahan Military Fellow, in the Washington Times   “The [conflict of interest rules] rules are currently insufficient to meet the challenges, particularly if you take into consideration that the American people really view corruption as a huge problem.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Manager, in CNN   “While inspectors general have a lot of access in their own agencies, they often don’t have that access to other agencies.” Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy, in the Wall Street Journal   “Absent a new law, the ethics committees need to draft language that removes any ambiguity and makes all of this clear once and for all.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Manager, in Business Insider

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

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