Secret Scandals of the Trump Administration
Two years into Donald Trump’s presidency, and we’re all familiar with high-profile policies that dominate headlines - the Muslim ban, the increasing detention of immigrants, the militarization of the border, rollback of protections for the LGBTQ+ community, the ongoing effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act … the list goes on.
Yet there many less known scandals that are taking place away from the front pages. Under the Trump Administration, government agencies are working to weaken their own power to protect workers and consumers alike. These policies will bring huge benefits to industry interests, but will be a disaster for average Americans.
This is where MuckRock comes in. We’re excited to announce that MuckRock is relaunching our Trump-focused FOIA project, rebranding it as “The Secret Scandals of the Trump Administration,” where we’ll focus on the administration’s lesser known, but no less dangerous actions, which all too often escape media scrutiny.
And true to the spirit of MuckRock, we’re asking our readers to help.
If there’s a government agency you’d like to help us dig into, or if you’ve seen a report that needs a deeper investigation, let us know via the Assignments tool and we’ll look into it!
Image by Joyce N. Boghosian via White House Flickr
3 Articles
The Secret Scandals of the Trump Administration Project enters the new year
A little more than a month after MuckRock launched The Secret Scandals of the Trump Administration project, we’ve submitted dozens of FOIA requests, and received a handful of excellent tips from our readers. A number of these tips have been especially helpful: we’ve even heard from former government employees with first-hand knowledge of potential scandals in some government agencies.
The FCC backs down, releases emails related to Ajit Pai’s “Harlem Shake” video
Almost a year ago to the day, I filed a FOIA request with the Federal Communications Commission for emails related to the now-infamous Ajit Pai Harlem Shake video. Today, those records were finally released, revealing just how how far the agency would go to fight accountability over even the stupidest issue.
MuckRock is launching a project to explore the “Secret Scandals of the Trump Administration”
We’re excited to announce that MuckRock is relaunching our Trump-focused FOIA project, rebranding it as “The Secret Scandals of the Trump Administration.” We’ll focus on the administration’s lesser known, but no less dangerous actions, which all too often escape media scrutiny.
12 Requests
Rejected
All communications between CPSC and manufacturers seeking to withhold information from release
Paul Gottinger sent this request to the Consumer Products Safety Commission of the United States of America
No Responsive Documents
All Emails to or from Director Mick Mulvaney containing keywords "Allied Progress"
Paul Gottinger sent this request to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the United States of America
Completed
Detailed Calendars for Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle
Paul Gottinger sent this request to the Consumer Products Safety Commission of the United States of America
Completed
Detailed Calendars for Comptroller of the Currency Joseph M. Otting
Paul Gottinger sent this request to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States of America
Fix Required
Emails Between CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney and Wells Fargo
Paul Gottinger sent this request to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the United States of America
Fix Required
Emails Between CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney and Wells Fargo
Paul Gottinger sent this request to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the United States of America