John,

CREW just sued the Office of Management and Budget for taking down the website that shows how OMB directs agencies to spend taxpayer money.

OMB controls agency spending through its apportionment of federal funds–that is, legally binding budget decisions about agency expenditures. OMB is required by law to publicly post information about its apportionment of federal spending. Since July 2022, OMB has posted that information publicly. Approximately two weeks ago, OMB took down the website, removing the apportionments database from public view.

This move has denied CREW and the American public information that is critically important to keeping citizens informed about the activities of government officials and agencies and to ensuring transparency, ethics and integrity in government.

Taking down this information hides how the Trump administration is spending taxpayer dollars and harms the public’s ability to hold the administration accountable to the American people for its spending decisions.

Without access to the apportionment website, CREW and other organizations cannot monitor for those kinds of abuses and inform the public when they occur.

That’s why we’re suing—to preserve the public’s access to information about how their money is being spent.

Thank you,

CREW HQ