Our Fight for Accountability Does Not Shut Down

The federal government shut down this week, and instead of working toward a solution, the Trump administration is using federal resources to point fingers and direct blame at its perceived political opponents. That’s why, even during a government closure, the fight for transparency remains crucial.

We’re continuing the fight to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions, which have had devastating impacts on our democracy.
This year, American Oversight has filed 1,645 public records requests — with 72 different agencies in 42 states — to demand government transparency and accountability. We’ve also filed 23 lawsuits demanding the release of public records.

This week, we renewed our call for the release of volume two of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on Donald Trump’s mishandling of government records after his first term. And in Wisconsin, former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is finally facing consequences for his efforts to undermine the 2020 election results — and his misconduct in our related litigation.

(Still) Seeking Jack Smith’s Report on Trump’s Handling of Classified Documents

Trump’s abuse of power during the government shutdown is not an isolated incident. It’s part of the president’s broader pattern of exploiting government authority for his personal and political gain — and hiding the truth from the American public.

More than nine months have passed since Special Counsel Jack Smith submitted his report on Trump’s mishandling of classified documents. But the public still has not seen volume two, due to an order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that has kept it under wraps. Cannon threw out the charges against Trump last year, claiming Smith was improperly appointed.

This week, we asked the court to vacate Cannon’s order indefinitely barring the Justice Department from releasing Volume II.

“Transparency isn’t optional in a democracy,” our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu said. “The public has a right to know what Special Counsel Smith found, and the Justice Department cannot continue to withhold a report that should have been released nearly a year ago under federal law. By keeping this order in place, Judge Cannon is undermining both accountability and the rule of law.”
Our petition builds on earlier attempts to pry loose volume two of the report. In February, we sued the Justice Department for failing to respond to our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the full report.
The DOJ cited Cannon’s gag order to explain to the court why it hadn’t released the report.

Demanding Transparency about Tom Homan’s FBI Investigation Closure

Last year, the FBI allegedly caught now-Border Czar Tom Homan accepting $50,000 from an agent who posed as a consultant, in exchange for potential future government contracts, according to recent reporting by MSNBC.

The Trump administration closed the investigation, and top officials denied Homan’s acceptance of the bribe as recently as last week.
We sent FOIA requests to the FBI and the Justice Department for video and audio recordings of the transaction.
The public deserves to know the truth about whether the country’s top immigration official accepted cash in exchange for the promise of future government contracts — especially under an administration that is deeply committed to mass detention and deportation.

On the Records

Michael Gableman Faces Consequences for Actions During Partisan Election Inquiry

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman should lose his law license for three years because of ethics violations related to his discredited 2020 election review, a Court-appointed referee ruled this week.

The ruling came months after the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) filed a disciplinary complaintagainst Gableman for his actions during the partisan and baseless inquiry he led into the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The OLR’s complaint and the referee’s report both list 10 counts against Gableman, including for misconduct during American Oversight’s related litigation.
Several counts cite Gableman’s failure to comply with state public records laws — violations that were revealed through our litigation for records from the inquiry, including Gableman’s unprofessional conduct while testifying in a related hearing.
Other counts relate to Gableman’s conduct during a June 2022 hearing in our litigation, where Gableman made false statements impugning the judge’s integrity and alleged bias, and made false, derogatory, and demeaning statements about American Oversight’s counsel.

Gableman surrendered his law license in April to settle OLR’s complaint, agreeing to the office’s recommended three-year suspension term. A court-appointed referee had to approve the agreement before it could take effect.

“Gableman abused his power, aiming to erode trust in our democracy,” our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu said. “We urge the Wisconsin Supreme Court to follow the special referee’s recommendation and impose the three year suspension Mr. Gableman richly deserves.”

(Still) Seeking Jack Smith’s Report on Trump’s Handling of Classified Documents

Demanding Transparency about Tom Homan’s FBI Investigation Closure

On the Records

Michael Gableman Faces Consequences for Actions During Partisan Election Inquiry

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