Press Releases

Becerra’s COVID Recommendation Not Supported by Agency Records

HHS Scientific Integrity Policy Might Have Been Discarded

August 8, 2023

(Washington, DC) – It took government watchdog Functional Government Initiative (FGI) eight months and a lawsuit for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to confirm that there was no scientific or academic basis supporting Secretary Xavier Becerra’s prescription for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots every two months. HHS ignored FGI’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for months until taken to court, and now says there are no documents or communications explaining the origin of the Secretary’s public health pronouncement.

On November 28, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted, “One shot, once a year—that’s all most people will need to stay protected from COVID year-long. Make a plan to get your shot at http://vaccines.gov.” The next day, HHS Secretary Becerra tweeted, “An updated COVID vaccine can help protect you from the worst outcomes of COVID. If it’s been over 2 months since your last dose, make a plan to get one now.” Becerra repeated his two-month recommendation the following day in another tweet.

In an effort to understand why Secretary Becerra – a lawyer by training, not a physician – was calling for six times more booster shots than was Vice President Harris, FGI requested any documents or communications that would lay out the scientific basis for his recommendation and the discrepancy of messages from two of our government’s top-ranking officials. After taking the agency to court, HHS sent FGI its “final response” that it had no documents “relevant to your request.”

Considering the many concerns that surrounded and still surround COVID vaccine efficacy and safety, such confusion and unsubstantiated public health pronouncements raise serious questions about the administration’s approach to pandemic policy. The lack of supporting records for the Secretary’s controversial recommendation also raises more questions on whether federal officials are committed to grounding major public health recommendations in hard science and empirical evidence – even if they run counter to the Biden administration’s policy agenda.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“The lack of a single record supporting Secretary Becerra’s bold public health recommendation for six COVID boosters a year is a startling development. It is tremendously irresponsible for the government’s chief health official to fire off tweets recommending frequent injections of a new vaccine booster apparently based on no academic or scientific support. How can the public be assured that the agency is ‘following the science’ on other important public health matters when it demonstrates such clear disregard for basic scientific integrity standards on an issue as important as COVID vaccine shots? Pandemics and vaccines are matters of life and death. Americans should be able to trust their leaders are not playing politics with their health.”

###

Dr. Fauci Ignored CDC Study on the Inefficacy of Masks in Preventing COVID-19

Records show Fauci knew about and ignored a CDC study regarding masks’ inefficacy.

July 26, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced that documents obtained from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from litigation on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request contain evidence of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s clear disregard of medical research. These records show that Dr. Fauci and his team were aware of a then-recent study on masks from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and chose to ignore the evidence in their own paper that was trying to prove the efficacy of masks in preventing COVID-19.

In October 2020, The Federalist published an article citing a CDC study showing that masks and face coverings were not effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Released in September 2020, the study examined 154 case-patients who tested positive for COVID-19 compared to a control group of 160 participants from health care facilities who tested negative but were symptomatic. According to that study, “In the 14 days before illness onset, 71% of case-patients and 74 percent of control-participants reported always using cloth face coverings or other mask types when in public.” In addition, more than 14% from both categories who reported using cloth face coverings or other mask types “often” still were infected.

The records obtained by FGI showed that Dr. Fauci was aware of both the article and the study while working on his mask efficacy paper, as a colleague sent them to him the same day the article was published. In response, Fauci stated, “Not good for our paper.”

Earlier the same day, another colleague on the team writing the paper e-mailed Dr. Fauci a medical review on the efficacy of masks in preventing infection in healthcare and community settings. She commented that, “I think that when you actually look at the data regarding protecting individuals in the community though, it is weak. In addition, most of the studies in the review involved medical masks – not the cloth masks that are currently recommended (and CDC advises the public to avoid surgical masks and n95s intended for healthcare workers).”

When Dr. Fauci published his paper later in October 2020, it made no mention of the CDC study. In the paper, Dr. Fauci stated, “Surgical masks can reduce respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath, and the filtering efficacy of some materials used in cloth masks may approach that of surgical masks.” Interestingly enough, all of the supporting references in the paper are from studies and papers published between April and July 2020, and again, with no mention of the CDC study from September 2020.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“During the pandemic, Dr. Fauci was the face of the United States’ medical and scientific struggle against COVID-19. So it should be extremely concerning to the American public that he cherry-picked research on the efficacy of masks in preventing the spread of the virus. He clearly knew about the CDC study showing masks didn’t work as we were told, but he chose neither to address nor even mention it and instead pushed forward his paper saying the exact opposite. At best, this is poor scientific ethics. If Dr. Fauci was so quick to ignore science so early in the pandemic, why should the American public trust anything else he said or did over the last few years?”

Crime on the Clock: Former DOE Official Sam Brinton Committed Theft While on a Government Trip

Records reveal Brinton was on official Department of Energy business when stealing women’s clothes and jewelry.

July 17, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, government watchdog Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced it has found evidence that then-Department of Energy (DOE) official Sam Brinton committed a crime while on taxpayer time. Records obtained from the DOE through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show Brinton in Las Vegas on official DOE business during the time of one of his thefts.

On July 6, 2022, security camera footage caught Brinton stealing luggage at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport. The travel records show that Brinton, then the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the DOE’s Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition, was traveling to Las Vegas that day to visit the DOE facilities in the Las Vegas area. In December 2022, Brinton was arrested for grand larceny and was ultimately convicted on a misdemeanor, with a suspended jail sentence of 180 days and ordered by the court to “stay out of trouble.” By then the DOE had announced that Brinton was no longer with the agency.

However, before that announcement, Brinton had already been placed on leave according to the agency, due to a previous charge of felony theft. In a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in October 2022, Brinton had allegedly stolen luggage on September 16, 2022, from a carousel at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. In April 2023, it was reported that Brinton had entered adult diversion, having to undergo mental health evaluation, write a letter of apology to the victim, return stolen items, and complete three days of community service.

In February 2023, Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin claimed that she saw Brinton wearing her one-of-a-kind clothes in multiple online photos, clothes that she had reported missing since 2018 after she lost her luggage, with those clothes packed in it, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. On May 17, 2023, police executed a search warrant and arrested Brinton for yet another allegation.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“It’s outrageous that tax dollars transported Brinton to and from the scene of a crime, putting the American public unwittingly at the wheel of the getaway car. The federal government obviously needs a more stringent vetting process for senior-level positions. Senior officials committing petty crime while on the clock is a clear indication that something is dysfunctional in the personnel procedures.”

Interior Secretary Haaland MIA While Staff Looked at Ways to Kill Federal Oil and Gas Leasing

Neutered final report scrubs evidence of climate radicalism at Department of the Interior.

June 23, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Interior Secretary Haaland was completely out of the loop for months as subordinates schemed to cease energy development on federal land and water, according to documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by government watchdog, Functional Government Initiative.

On January 27, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order directing the Secretary of the Interior to “pause new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters pending completion of a comprehensive review and reconsideration of Federal oil and gas permitting and leasing practices….” Interior was to evaluate “potential climate and other impacts” of oil and gas leasing and recommend whether to adjust royalties paid for oil and gas production to account for “climate costs.” There was no suggestion that the cessation of oil and gas leasing on federal lands was an option.

Interior Secretary Haaland initially said the report, so consequential for the nation’s energy supply at a time when gas prices were beginning to climb, would be available by early summer 2021.

However, the records show that she was intentionally left out of the discussion by Interior Department political appointees. Meanwhile, Interior performed an economic analysis that reveals it was contemplating the elimination of all oil and gas leasing on federal lands. In the analysis, DOI asked what the impact would be to revenues if there were to be zero acres leased for fossil fuel production. This analysis came mere months after the United States had effectively obtained energy independence.

Secretary Haaland seems to have had no idea what her subordinates were up to. On June 9, Interior’s top legal officer Robert Anderson sent the report to the White House, noting it was “the product of a tremendous amount of staff work and outreach. We have not provided it to Secretary Haaland for her review because we first want to get your comments and edits.”

Six weeks later, on July 27, appearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Haaland apparently was still in the dark about the substance of the report and was unable to discuss the report in any meaningful way. Appearing confused by questioning by Senators on the issue, she merely said an “interim report,” was “set for release … and will be released soon.”

No interim report was released to the public, and the final report was not issued until November 2021.  By then, gas prices had made Interior’s “zero acres” plan unworkable and likely politically dangerous. The final product was far weaker than the no-leasing scenario put forth by Interior, stating that royalties should be higher while energy development should be deprioritized.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“While every American should be grateful Interior’s radical plan to cripple U.S. energy production ultimately did not see the light of day, the fact that it got as far as it did, apparently without Secretary Haaland’s oversight or even input, is troubling. Her subordinates felt comfortable going around the secretary, and she had such a limited understanding of what was happening at her own department that she was unable to provide meaningful answers to questions posed at a Senate committee hearing. This was no typical government report but one mandated by the president, with nothing less than American energy independence at stake. Interior’s actions represent the epitome of government dysfunction.”

FGI Files Suit Against ED for Records on Critical Race Theory

To what extent has the Department of Education been pushing CRT onto American children in schools?

June 21, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced a transparency lawsuit against the Department of Education (ED) for withholding records regarding communication amongst senior ED personnel about critical race theory (CRT).

In June 2022, FGI filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Education Department for records from top department political appointees regarding CRT. After nearly a year, the department has failed to turn over any records, prompting FGI to file suit to obtain them.

CRT is a highly controversial academic theory developed on college campuses in the 1970s that asserts racism has been embedded in legal systems and policies, economic markets, and education. It has migrated from higher education into public policy and even primary education, causing divides in classrooms and among policymakers. As of January 2021, 42 states have introduced bills or taken steps to ban CRT from the classroom, with 18 states actually imposing those bans.

In April 2021, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule from the department that would have changed how grants were awarded to schools. The proposal stated that preference in grant decisions would go to schools that included in their curricula information from the “1619 Project,” a divisive interpretation of American history by the New York Times that propagates CRT. After significant pushback, the department walked back the proposed rule.

But when Florida recently adopted education initiatives that included curtailing CRT in curricula, Secretary Cardona said they were the “opposite of what we need for our children,” apparently an endorsement of CRT by ED. The records it has refused to produce would allow the public to know the extent of the Education Department’s efforts to promote CRT. Its refusal to comply with FOIA only heightens suspicions.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“CRT has become one of the most divisive topics in America. It claims to foster a better understanding of a volatile issue yet has only served to polarize Americans. The Education Department under the Biden Administration continues to promote CRT yet refuses to turn over the documents that reveal their intentions. With Secretary Cardona pushing back against efforts to stop CRT, it is now more important than ever that the pertinent records are released. If the Education Department is promoting divisive messages, FGI will continue its pursuit of the truth so that the American public can be informed.”

 

###

In Pandemic, CDC Media Team Prioritized Liberal Media, Dismissed Conservative Sources

Records show the CDC was much more willing to answer questions from and work with liberal media outlets and journalists.

June 21, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) released a trove of new public records in its ongoing investigation into how the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) may have inappropriately allowed its policy agenda to supersede public health concerns. Records obtained from FGI’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show that the CDC’s media team responded to media outlets and journalists regarding COVID vaccines differently according to their political leanings.

In December 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine. Soon after, the FDA issued further EUAs for the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines, as well, before issuing official approvals for the vaccines. However, the typical timeline for vaccine research and development is five to ten years or even longer, due to the necessary pre-clinical and safety trials and the regulatory approval process. The speed of the COVID vaccine development and approval left many Americans hesitant and suspicious, and spurring FGI’s current investigation.

Records obtained from a FOIA request to the CDC indicate disparate treatment to different media outlets and journalists depending on political leanings. For example, when the Washington Times asked questions regarding the efficacy and risks associated with the COVID vaccines, the CDC simply gave a response based on information already available on their website. Similar responses were also given to inquiries from other conservative media outlets and independent journalists – links to already published PowerPoint slides or rote COVID safety guidance. In some cases, the CDC took weeks, if not months, to produce those. In light of the problems that arose with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that caused the government to pause its distribution and now to rescind its authorization, skepticism and hard questions were in order.

However, when left-leaning media outlets and journalists would reach out with inquiries and request interviews, the CDC typically responded the same day, and the responses were drastically different. For example, when Buzzfeed reached out for an interview, the CDC replied that two CDC experts were available that very day. Buzzfeed even sent some questions in advance that seem to have tied in with the narrative the CDC was promoting. In another case, Commonweal, a liberal American journal of opinion, reached out with an inquiry, and the CDC responded with a written statement promoting the narrative it proposed Commonweal should use. When left-leaning Axios reached out with questions on how COVID vaccines affected pregnancies, the CDC’s detailed responses were published on Axios’ website the next day. Overall, CDC appears to have prioritized responding to media outlets that would largely parrot and advance their COVID vaccine agenda while ignoring or dismissing those presenting critical views or asking questions.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“It’s clear the CDC regarded conservative outlets with tough questions to be adversarial, while treating left-leaning media like a private PR shop. When the FDA issued emergency authorizations for the COVID vaccines, many Americans were rightfully skeptical. But when reputable media outlets and journalists raised questions, the CDC rarely responded in a timely manner and, when they did, provided cookie-cutter answers parroting already-available information – and in the case of the J&J vaccine, those questions needed to be asked. Alternatively, when liberal media outlets and journalists asked questions, the CDC responded promptly and thoughtfully and in ways designed to further its own vaccine agenda. The CDC is a taxpayer-funded government agency, not an advocacy organization or political operation. The American people should have confidence that its public health institutions are prioritizing science and objectively responding to concerns, not simply pushing an administration’s policy agenda.”

Politicized Navy Sacrifices Recruitment, Ethics to Push LGBTQ Activism

Circumventing recruiters, impersonating reporters, and changing information all in service to an agenda.

June 1, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, government watchdog Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced it has found troubling evidence of politicization and ethical impropriety in documents obtained from the Navy in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents come from the office of the Navy Chief Information Officer (CHINFO) and regard Navy preparations to participate in “Pride Month” in June 2022.

In a series of e-mails about modifying Navy shields and symbols with rainbow colors and the transgender flag, employees of the Navy Newsroom disparaged those who question the military’s role in pride month as “less savory members of our audience” and “bad actors.” Elsewhere in the documents, CHINFO personnel identified opponents of the military’s celebration of Pride Month as “bigots.” The staff also discussed how to evade objections to the LGBTQ modifications from within the Navy’s own Recruiting Command, with one employee suggesting giving the recruiters no notice of the changes until it was too late for any of the recruiters to express concerns.

In chat messages from May 5, 2022, a naval superior instructed a naval officer, prior to a news conference regarding their LGBTQ posts, to impersonate a reporter and ask questions to advance the agenda: “[Y]ou will act like a non‐navy Journalist. Please use your real name because I will not be able to remember fake names. You’re from [left-wing feminist site] Jezebel and will ask questions like: Before we get started, what is your gender identity and your preferred pronouns?”

Other suggested questions included, “IF THEIR GENDER IDENTIY IS DIFFERENT THAN THEIR OUTWARD IDENTITY: What hardships do you face being in uniform as a ______. Does the Navy and your peers allow you to be your true self?” and “How did you develop Harpy Daniels persona, what made you want to so openly tie her to your service?”

“Harpy Daniels” is the drag stage name of Navy Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, whom the Navy recently named a “digital ambassador” to recruit young people.

The Navy also has issued conflicting statements about LGBTQ “safety transfers,” which can be made when stated concerns for the safety of service members and/or their dependents result in a permanent transfer prior to a normal projected rotation date.

Also, it appears that the armed services are offering solutions in search of problems. For example, amid a series of claims that state laws and policies are being enacted to curtail the rights of LGBTQ+ persons, branches of the military were prepared to consider requests for “safety transfers” to new duty stations for service members and their dependents if they felt unsafe or discriminated against on the basis of such state laws. Yet, the Navy candidly acknowledged to a reporter last June that it had not received any requests for safety transfers for reasons related to state laws or policies that may affect LGBTQ+ Service members or their dependents. However, two weeks later, a message to the same reporter said, “The Navy had 433 re‐assignments similar to safety transfers in FY21,” without additional detail about those re-assignments.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“It appears there are personnel in the U.S. Navy who believe promoting the LGBTQ agenda is more important than their ethical responsibilities to keep politics separate from their responsibilities in the military. Devising schemes to circumvent any input of recruiters while the armed forces suffer a recruiting crisis puts the nation at risk. Impersonating reporters as well as offering conflicting answers to inquiries are certainly nothing to be proud of regardless of what month it is.”

###

Efforts to Ban Gas Stoves Subject of New Litigation

Gas stoves, a staple in many Americans’ homes, targeted by a new proposed ban despite public claims to the contrary

June 1, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced lawsuits against three federal agencies, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, regarding records about the Biden Administration’s plans to ban new gas stoves.

FGI submitted FOIA requests to those agencies to clarify the Administration’s reasoning and to make sense of seemingly conflicting statements regarding the scope of proposed regulations that could effectively ban gas stoves. With no response within the time limits under the law, FGI is filing its lawsuits to compel their release.

The ostensible spur to government action was a December 2022 research study that indicated 12.7 percent of childhood asthma in the United States is attributable to gas stove use. In a January 2023 interview, CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. stated that gas stoves were a “hidden hazard” and “products that can’t be made safe can be banned.” Later, Trumka clarified in a tweet that the proposed new gas stove regulations would apply only to new ones. Americans who currently have gas and choose to switch to electric would receive a rebate under the Inflation Reduction Act.

CPSC Chair Commissioner Alexander Hoehn-Saric also stated that “CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards. But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.” However, a leaked internal memo written by Trumka stated there was sufficient evidence to move forward with a gas stove ban. That memo pre-dated the release of the asthma study, showing that the CPSC’s move to ban gas stoves was already long in the works.

Meanwhile, the DOE proposed its first-ever efficiency regulation on cooking appliances, which could potentially make 50 percent of currently available gas stove models non-compliant. The contradictory actions raise questions over the outside influence and intentions behind the apparent dysfunction driving the Administration’s approach toward gas stoves. Also, there are calls for HUD to ban stoves in public housing, potentially adding another agency to the effort.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issues the following statement:

“The Biden Administration has been anything but clear with the public about its intentions relating to gas stoves. The various efforts to ‘study’ their use has been seen as a predicate for a future ban while other federal agencies have taken actions that fly in the face of what they’ve told the public. FGI intends to find out who is driving the push to regulate or ban gas stoves. The American people deserve to know why they’re home appliance options may be curtailed even further.”

###

FGI Sues EPA to Uncover Frank Biden’s Potential Influence over Environmental Justice Issues

Did Frank Biden use his family name to incite government actions that would likely benefit an ongoing legal action from his employer?

May 2, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced a transparency lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for withholding records regarding potential communication between Frank Biden and associates at the Berman Law Group, his employer. The FOIA request also sought related records on the practice of sugar cane field burning during harvest, the subject of a class action effort spearheaded by Mr. Biden’s employer.

Environmental activists have latched on to sugar cane field burning as a reason to demand the government lower the already controversial National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Berman Law Group, where Frank Biden is a non-attorney senior advisor, ran a newspaper ad on President Biden’s Inauguration Day, promoting a class action lawsuit against Florida sugar cane growers, claiming that the controlled sugar cane field burns were affecting the health of nearby residents. Frank Biden’s promoting his firm while invoking his family name raises questions as to whether there were also communications with federal regulators that could bolster the prospects of its class action and, if so, whether those communications resulted in inappropriate political pressure being placed on career officials.

Powerful environmental special interest groups, including the Sierra Club and others, have touted their support of the same issues involved in the President’s brother’s work. With the EPA considering stricter NAAQS standards at the same time as the Department of Justice opening up a new litigation office to target private sector actors over environmental justice concerns, the situation raises the question of whether Frank Biden’s personal financial interests are playing any role in the government’s policy and litigation efforts. The records FGI requested would allow public scrutiny and bring transparency to several major government actions fraught with ethics landmines. At this stage in FGI’s transparency efforts, the government’s non-response has made litigation the only option.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“The combination of Berman Law Group’s class action lawsuit and the administration’s environmental justice initiatives raise potential ethical concerns. We already know that Frank Biden invoked his relationship with his brother in an ad for his employer. Did he, his colleagues, and their special interest allies do the same with any communications with regulators whose actions could impact their case? Is the DOJ getting in on the act by preparing to file litigation against the same sugar industry players at the center of Frank Biden’s class action effort? The withheld records could likely assist the public in assessing whether these concerns are warranted.”

FGI Files Suit Against DOJ for Records on Covering Lois Lerner and Holly Paz’s Legal Bills

Taxpayers may be footing the legal bills of IRS officials at the center of targeting scandal

April 18, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced a transparency lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) for withholding records regarding billings by or payments to the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP for attorneys’ fees or other legal costs relating to the representation of Lois Lerner and Holly Paz, officials at the center of the political targeting scandal at the IRS.

The violations of numerous IRS rules and the constitutional rights of Americans were documented extensively, including in a staff report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, settlements in lawsuits, and an FBI investigation. In 2013, Lerner, then-acting IRS Director of Exempt Organizations, even appeared to apologize for inappropriately targeting conservative groups during a meeting of the American Bar Association. In NorCal Tea Party Patriots, et al. v. The Internal Revenue Service, et al., Lerner and Paz, her top aide and former IRS Director of the Office of Rulings and Agreements, were represented by the law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Taxpayers may have been on the hook to pay her legal bills even after it became clear that Lerner was likely involved in misconduct, after she refused to testify, and after multiple settlements between the federal government and outside parties pertaining to her conduct. Those legal bills might still be covered by the taxpayers as Lerner has continued fighting to keep records sealed from the decade-old scandal.

In July 2022, FGI filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records regarding the DOJ’s billing and payment records for attorneys’ fees or other legal costs relating to the representation of Lerner and Paz. After multiple delays, the DOJ has been unresponsive, prompting FGI to file suit to get these records. With the IRS making a visit to Matt Taibbi’s home at the same time he testified before Congress about government abuses, it appears the weaponization of the IRS may be continuing.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“Even after the IRS agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement related to the targeting scandal, it remains an open question if and for how long DOJ paid the bills. The American public has a right to know. FGI will continue its legal fight so that taxpayers can consider the appropriateness of such costs and the incentive it could provide to other federal officials at the center of misconduct.”

###