News Roundup: A Litany of Failures
* Meat-Processing Industry’s Involvement in Federal Food Assistance Program
* New Details Regarding Controversial 2018 Pardon of Scooter Libby
* VA Secretary Wilkie Comes Under Scrutiny for Possible Criminal Conduct

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The Big Stories

The past nine months have seen their share of difficult, frustrating, and even infuriating news. But the past week has aptly captured the administration’s failure to control the pandemic, and the tragic results of that failure, as few previous weeks have.

As the United States rapidly approaches 300,000 deaths from Covid-19, each day has brought with it horrifying daily tallies. On Wednesday, 3,054 died, a new single-day record ([link removed]) . Americans desperate for aid ([link removed]) are struggling ([link removed]) as the end of the year looms ([link removed]) . U.S. hospitals ([link removed]) are overwhelmed ([link removed]) .

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and his loyal supporters continue their efforts to overturn the results ([link removed]) of the election ([link removed]) . Of course, Trump did find time to participate in a self-congratulatory “vaccine summit” ([link removed]) at the White House — even before the leading contender, Pfizer’s vaccine, has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (that’s expected ([link removed]) in the coming days), and even after the New York Times
reported ([link removed]) that his administration turned down ([link removed]) Pfizer’s offers to secure more doses than the 100 million it had agreed to purchase in July.

Since the vaccine requires two doses, that means only 50 million Americans will receive it in the near months, as Pfizer said it cannot guarantee more than that before the summer. Scott Gottlieb, a member of Pfizer’s board, confirmed to CNBC ([link removed]) on Tuesday that the administration had passed on the offers even after positive interim data had become available. During Tuesday’s White House event, Trump also said that the fact that so many people had contracted the deadly disease was “terrific,” erroneously suggesting that meant the nation was close to herd immunity ([link removed]) .

The irresponsibility of state and federal leaders has also been on full display. Multiple officials ([link removed]) have contracted the virus, including those who reportedly eschew mask-wearing ([link removed]) while at work. Trump announced over the weekend that Rudy Giuliani had tested positive ([link removed]) — dozens of state lawmakers have now also tested positive ([link removed]) after their possible exposure during meetings in various states ([link removed]) in which Giuliani pushed
election-related conspiracy theories. His ally in his dangerous legal efforts, Jenna Ellis, also announced she had tested positive ([link removed]) , after having attended an ill-advised White House holiday party.

But it’s not just the White House that has (again ([link removed]) ) held indoor gatherings ([link removed]) in defiance of public health warnings. Pennsylvania legislators recently held a hearing ([link removed]) about baseless election fraud claims in which social-distancing and mask-wearing guidelines were largely ignored. The State Department hosted about 200 people at a party at the presidential guesthouse on Tuesday, and Secretary Mike Pompeo is planning to host ([link removed]) two receptions next week, one with a reported guest list of more than 900 people. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was also
criticized this week after invitations went out ([link removed]) for a holiday reception at the governor’s mansion. (More headlines about DeSantis’ failed handling of the pandemic in his state below.)

Finally, Politico reported on Thursday ([link removed]) that a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told congressional investigators that CDC Director Robert Redfield had instructed staff to delete an email from a Trump political appointee who was attempting to interfere in the agency’s scientific reports. That instruction sounds alarm bells not just because of ongoing concerns ([link removed]) over the Trump administration’s political meddling ([link removed]) at scientific agencies, but because of the importance of ensuring that the administration complies with document-preservation laws
([link removed]) during its final weeks in office. We’ve been investigating both those concerns — be sure to check our website ([link removed]) and the Covid-19 Oversight Hub ([link removed]) for updates.

On the Records

Meat-Processing Industry’s Involvement in Federal Food Assistance Program
American Oversight obtained documents that provide further insight into the origins of the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program, suggesting that meat industry groups may have pitched the program to USDA ([link removed]) to avoid incurring costs associated with repackaging and relabeling products intended for food service. This was one of several instances this year in which meatpacking companies and their lobbyists cited the pandemic as justification for seeking special treatment from the federal government — read our related previous reporting ([link removed]) .

New Details Regarding Controversial 2018 Pardon of Scooter Libby
More reports continue to emerge about Trump’s troubling use of pardon powers, from the sweeping reprieve given to Michael Flynn and the potential White House bribery scheme ([link removed]) to the president’s reported consideration of handing pardons out en masse ([link removed]) to friends and family. This week, we published records that shed more light on ([link removed]) the controversial and irregular 2018 pardon of former Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby, who was convicted in 2007 for obstruction of justice. The documents show some of the aftermath of Libby’s pardon among Justice Department officials in the Pardon Attorney’s office, which had been left out of the process.

VA Secretary Wilkie Comes Under Scrutiny for Possible Criminal Conduct
The Washington Post reported this week ([link removed]) that the inspector general for the Department of Veterans Affairs — who had been investigating whether Secretary Robert Wilkie had worked to discredit a congressional aide — had told federal prosecutors about possible criminal conduct by Wilkie in relation to those allegations. The congressional staffer, Andrea Goldstein, had said she was sexually assaulted in a VA medical center, and the Post had previously reported that Wilkie had inquired with officials about Goldstein’s military record.

According to the Post, Wilkie attempted to disprove Goldstein’s case by pulling surveillance tape from the lobby where the incident occurred — we uncovered an email, reported on by the Post ([link removed]) , in which an assistant undersecretary at the VA inquired about the footage and said that Wilkie’s office was “waiting for an answer.”

Headlines You Might Have Missed

17 Republican attorneys general back Trump in far-fetched election lawsuit (New York Times ([link removed]) )

Pompeo to speak in Georgia as Senate run-offs loom (Associated Press ([link removed]) )
* “This adds to Pompeo’s list of highly partisan, political activities,” we tweeted after the news, with ABC News quoting our statement ([link removed]) . “Pompeo’s decision to go to Georgia further suggests the administration continue to be shameless about using positions for political ends.”
* And speaking of the Pompeos’ penchant for parties, the New York Times reported ([link removed]) that their lavish dinners at the State Department cost taxpayers $43,000.

Trump administration set to approve handing sacred Native American land to giant mining corporations (Independent ([link removed]) )

Trump’s drug-card plan smacks into another roadblock (Politico ([link removed]) )

Report points to microwave ‘attack’ as likely source of mystery illnesses that hit diplomats and spies (New York Times ([link removed]) )

Trump Pentagon nominee spreads debunked conspiracies and tweets suggesting Trump declare martial law (CNN ([link removed]) )

Ryan Zinke’s phones: ‘A comedy of errors’ (E&E News ([link removed]) )

Voice of America director forced aside in drive to embed Trump loyalists before Biden era (NPR ([link removed]) )

Trump mulls preemptive pardons for up to 20 allies, even as Republicans balk (Politico ([link removed]) )

Trump associates said to have been scrutinized in suspected pardon scheme (New York Times ([link removed]) )

Covid-19 Pandemic
* Covid-19 gets personal in a South Dakota town as neighbors die and a mask mandate is debated (Washington Post ([link removed]) ). Related: “1 in 3 South Dakotans has now been infected with Covid.” (Dr. Tom Frieden, via Twitter ([link removed]) )
* Accused hate groups receive pandemic aid (NBC News ([link removed]) )
* Senate witness leads group that has long-hyped anti-vaxx cause (Daily Beast ([link removed]) )
* Companies part of group founded by CA governor collectively get nearly $3 million in PPP loans, data shows (ABC7 San Francisco ([link removed]) )
* Immigrants detained by ICE say they were punished for requesting Covid-19 tests (Intercept, In These Times ([link removed]) )
* Pfizer’s vaccine offers strong protection after first dose (New York Times ([link removed]) )

Pandemic in Florida
* Secrecy and spin: How Florida’s governor misled the public and the Covid crisis (Sun-Sentinel ([link removed]) )
* Rebekah Jones, Florida’s fired Covid-19 dashboard manager, has home raided by state agents with guns drawn (Orlando Sentinel ([link removed]) )
* GOP lawyer resigns over treatment of Florida data analyst (Tampa Bay Times ([link removed]) )
* DeSantis not planning statewide campaign in Florida to urge coronavirus vaccine use (Sarasota Herald-Tribune ([link removed]) )
* As Covid spreads, Florida governor’s spokesman pushes misinformation (Sun-Sentinel ([link removed]) )

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