American Oversight
@americanoversight.org
We're a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public's right to government records.
During the first year of his second term, Trump made more than $2 billion. Meanwhile, more than half of Americans say they are struggling to afford gas and groceries We’re investigating how Trump is putting his wealth over Americans’ best interests. americanoversight.org/investigatio...
What We Know — and Still Need to Find Out — About Trump’s Corruption
How Trump is putting his personal wealth over Americans’ best interests.
americanoversight.org
NPR reports ICE is detaining people in a New Jersey warehouse. Stephen Miller “did not want facilities that were humane,” said a government contractor. We need to know the conditions inside. We asked ICE for related planning documents and communications. www.npr.org/2026/10/08/n...
ICE has quietly used this warehouse as a detention facility all summer, neighbors say
Throughout the summer, rumors have been bubbling in North New Jersey that ICE has quietly been using a warehouse as a detention center. NPR investigated.
npr.org
Trump allegedly took highly classified docs to Mar-A-Lago in 2021. There's a report about it but a judge is keeping it hidden. We’ve fought for the report’s release for more than year. Now Trump is trying to delay our hearing until after the midterms. www.ms.now/deadline-whi...
Trump and his former co-defendants seek delay on Jack Smith report hearing
The president’s personal counsel cited Trump’s busy schedule ahead of the November midterms as reason to further postpone the matter.
ms.now
Last year, we reached a settlement agreement with the Georgia Board of Elections that requires it to conduct business through official government email accounts. Last week, the board revealed an unofficial account that’s still in use. We need answers. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
Watchdog Demands Answers From Georgia State Election Board About Gmail Account Not Disclosed in 2025 Litigation
Undisclosed Email Appeared on Screen at Public Board Meeting Nearly a Year After Settlement Over Members’ Use of Gmail
americanoversight.org
This week, we broke two huge stories about this admin’s authoritarian immigration crackdowns. We revealed details about ICE’s new shock gloves from an Army testing report, and we exposed that ICE slashed training time for police officers deputized by ICE. americanoversight.org/newsletter/i...
ICE Is Getting More Power with Less Training
More on ICE’s new “shock gloves,” and how it slashed training for local police that conduct immigration enforcement.
americanoversight.org
NEW: North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek’s staff sent texts vowing to “shove" a new "early voting plan down their throats” and to “tell the Democrats where to go stick it.” They are supposed to be nonpartisan officials who help administer elections. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
In July, the DOD reduced the number of Iran war casualties listed on its website. Members of Congress raised concerns that the Trump administration isn’t being honest with Americans about the toll of the war. We FOIAed DOD for communications and legal analyses about the change.
NEW: Emails we obtained, first reported on by the Washington Post, show ICE cut training by 75-80% for local police making immigration arrests. The emails reveal ICE cut instruction officers most need to understand people’s rights and legal status. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
Election deniers are reportedly pressuring Commerce Sec. Lutnick to seize voting machines. Emails we obtained show Trump admin officials previously met with election denial activists about ways to use Commerce’s authority to change election procedures. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement is responsible for unaccompanied children, but it slashed legal services for the kids. Now, HHS says its lawyers will represent the kids — meaning the administration trying to deport the kids would be their lawyers. apnews.com/article/migr...
Records obtained by @americanoversight.org: "The Trump administration reduced training for officers whose departments agreed to help ICE from four weeks of in-person education to 40 hours of virtual training last year as part of a broader effort to expand the agency’s footprint across the nation."
Emails show how ICE trimmed training for deputized officers
Police officers helping ICE arrest unauthorized immigrants were given a shortened training course that scaled back instruction on the nation’s immigration laws.
washingtonpost.com
The report we obtained makes it clear that the gloves inflict severe pain. It also raises other serious concerns about ICE’s plan to use it as part of immigration enforcement. americanoversight.org/analysis/sho...
What the Army’s Testing Report Tells Us About ICE's New Shock Gloves - American Oversight
American Oversight obtained the Army’s 2024 report on shock gloves, raising further concerns about ICE using them.
americanoversight.org
Mother Jones@motherjones.com · 3d agoStudy: Shock gloves traumatized Army volunteers
Donald Trump is profiting off the presidency — and putting his personal wealth over Americans’ best interests. We’re using public records requests and litigation to hold him accountable. Here’s what we’ve exposed so far. americanoversight.org/investigatio...
What We Know — and Still Need to Find Out — About Trump’s Corruption
How Trump is putting his personal wealth over Americans’ best interests.
americanoversight.org
Awesome FOIA work from @americanoversight.org
Army study found shock gloves purchased by ICE cause pain, compliance and fear
The shock gloves immigration agents could soon use to control detainees worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting and feared additional expo...
apnews.com
ICYMI: We’re investigating the FBI’s handling of a corruption inquiry connected to Sen. Collins. The FBI reportedly shelved the investigation after Trump returned to office. We FOIAed Kash Patel and senior FBI officials’ communications about the inquiry. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
American Oversight Launches Investigation Into Patel’s FBI Following Report Corruption Probe Tied to Sen. Collins Was Shelved
We’re seeking communications of Patel and senior FBI officials about the investigation Into alleged pay-to-play scheme.
americanoversight.org
@americanoversight.org obtained the Army’s 2024 report on shock gloves through a FOIA request. Here’s what the report says.
What the Army’s Testing Report Tells Us About ICE's New Shock Gloves - American Oversight
American Oversight obtained the Army’s 2024 report on shock gloves, raising further concerns about ICE using them.
americanoversight.org
NEW: Our team at @americanoversight.org obtained a copy of a 2024 US Army report that tested the electric shock gloves recently purchased by ICE. "After experiencing the effects of the GLOVE...participants stated just seeing the GLOVE was enough to make them want to comply," the report noted.
Army study found shock gloves purchased by ICE cause pain, compliance and fear
The shock gloves immigration agents could soon use to control detainees worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting and feared additional expo...
apnews.com
NEW: ICE has spent $16.7 million on shock gloves. Through a FOIA request, we obtained the Army’s 2024 report on them. It shows the gloves are designed to inflict severe pain. What it doesn’t show is whether there are lasting health impacts. americanoversight.org/analysis/sho...
We’re in court today for one of the first lawsuits we filed back in 2017. A Congressional committee has been trying to keep its communications with federal agencies secret. That’s not the law and we'll keep fighting for the public’s right to the records. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
Judge Rejects Boilerplate “Congressional Records” Label Used to Shield Agency Emails from Disclosure - American Oversight
American Oversight clears the way to uncover communications, as Congress and the Trump administration drive up health care costs and cut coverage.
americanoversight.org
We obtained a memo from DHS explaining how National Guard deployments could be used for immigration enforcement in states. The memo offered a way for officials to evade laws that ban military involvement in civilian law enforcement. americanoversight.org/national-gua...
Bombshell: DHS Memo Lays Out Dubious Legal Roadmap for Sidestepping Posse Comitatus Act to Deploy National Guard - American Oversight
Records we obtained raise alarm as consequential midterm election approaches.
americanoversight.org
Inspectors general are responsible for rooting out fraud and abuse in the government. There’s a proposal to dissolve the group that oversees inspectors general and give that authority to the White House. That’s a major threat to transparency. americanoversight.org/cigie-inspec...
Oversight Committee Advances Bill to Abolish CIGIE, a Loss for Accountability
The House Oversight Committee voted to advance the bill that would abolish CIGIE and hand oversight of inspectors general to the White House.
americanoversight.org
After the Supreme Court’s 2026 Callais decision, states could redraw congressional maps to reduce representation for people of color. To investigate how states are responding, we sent Mississippi records requests for communications related to redistricting.
This week, we sued DHS for records used as the basis for Sec. Mullin’s sweeping non-citizen voter fraud claims. So far, his claims have fallen apart under scrutiny. More in our newsletter: americanoversight.org/newsletter/m...
Mullin’s Trumped-Up Voter Fraud Claims
We’re demanding evidence for Mullin’s allegations of non-citizen voting. Plus, we’re digging into how the FBI handled its corruption investigation into Sen. Susan Collins.
americanoversight.org
ICYMI: We’re suing DHS for records on Sec. Markwayne Mullin’s sweeping non-citizen voter fraud claims. The public needs to know if Mullin is using his office to manufacture a pretext for interfering in our elections. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
Watchdog Sues DHS For Evidence Behind Sec. Mullin’s Claim of 250,000 Noncitizen Voters
American Oversight Seeks Records Showing Basis of DHS’ Claims and How Agency Used Them to Pressure Four States
americanoversight.org
Recent reports of rogue AI incidents, as well as warnings from AI developers, have heightened public concern about AI safety. We want to know how the Trump administration is responding to these concerns. We FOIAed key agencies for emails and texts related to AI safety.
There is bipartisan concern about ICE’s crackdowns, which have created widespread fear: Many immigrants are afraid to take their kids to school or go to work. ICE is avoiding transparency about its actions. We’re fighting to expose what ICE is doing. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
POLITICO Pro: Senate’s Justice urges ICE to dial back enforcement sweeps
The West Virginia Republican weighed in amid ranchers’ outcry over the impact on their industry.
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DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin has been claiming that huge numbers of noncitizens are registered to vote. We asked DHS for evidence backing up those claims. It failed to respond. We’re suing. If DHS has any evidence, it needs to prove it. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
Watchdog Sues DHS For Evidence Behind Sec. Mullin’s Claim of 250,000 Noncitizen Voters
American Oversight Seeks Records Showing Basis of DHS’ Claims and How Agency Used Them to Pressure Four States
americanoversight.org
Yesterday, former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his investigations into Donald Trump. But a critical part of what his team uncovered remains hidden from the American people.
Last week, ProPublica reported on a public corruption investigation connected to Sen. Susan Collins. The FBI reportedly shelved it after Trump returned to office. The investigators were fired. We’re investigating how the FBI handled it behind the scenes. americanoversight.org/press-releas...
American Oversight Launches Investigation Into Patel’s FBI Following Report Corruption Probe Tied to Sen. Collins Was Shelved
We’re seeking communications of Patel and senior FBI officials about the investigation Into alleged pay-to-play scheme.
americanoversight.org
In 2021, Trump allegedly took highly classified docs to Mar-A-Lago. Jack Smith wrote a report on the threat this created—but a judge is keeping it hidden. He’s testifying about it to Congress today. We’re still fighting for the report’s release. americanoversight.org/american-ove...