Friday, August 08, 2014

Obama’s “Most Transparent White House” Lambasted by Independent Watchdogs

Obama’s “Most Transparent White House” Lambasted by Independent Watchdogs | Somewhat Reasonable:
This week, Obama’s lack of transparency received some of its most vocal criticism to date.  In an open letter to congressional leaders, 47 of the government’s 73 inspectors-general (independent watchdogs) stated that they were unable to effectively perform their duties due to obstructive behavior and lack of cooperation in many federal agencies. Agencies from theEPA to the Peace Corps have dragged their feet or been unwilling to comply with requests for documents, claiming the contents of documents to be “privileged.” This has resulted in frustration among the independent watchdogs, which have been prevented from fulfilling their legally mandated duty.
The letter stated:
“Agency actions that limit, condition, or delay access thus have profoundly negative consequences for our work: they make us less effective, encourage other agencies to take similar actions in the future, and erode the morale of the dedicated professionals that make up our staffs.”

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