Sunlight Foundation

In today's roundup of open government news we highlight the sketch artists that have long helped shed light on otherwise closed government proceedings, celebrate the return of the Congress App for Android, keep up with the latest backlash against the President's "voter fraud" commission, cheer on open data advances in several cities, check out open data portals in Latin America, and more. 

In today's edition, we look at shadow lobbying, share some good news from DC, explore what's working in cities, and collect dispatches from Trumplandia. Read on for more of the latest open government news from Washington and around the United States.

Jason Chaffetz, who until recently was the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, provided a partial explanation for his decision to leave Congress with more than a year left in his current term: It's about the money. He called serving in Congress a "rich man's game" while suggesting a housing stipend to help lawmakers afford the high cost of living in Washington, D.C Read on for more on the various ways that money influences politics and all the latest open government news from Washington, DC and around the US. 

Yesterday, the Committee on House Administration hosted its annual Legislative Data and Transparency Conference at the U.S. Capitol. Many Sunlighters were on hand to learn about progress and initiatives, including the Library of Congress' App Challenge, the U.S. Government Publishing Office's new website, and much more. Check out our Facebook page and the #ldtc17 hashtag on Twitter for more from the event, and our blog today. Keep reading for more open government news from DC and around the United States!

Today we're getting an early start on our Independence Day celebrations with #TinyDeclaration, a contest co-sponsored by Slate and the National Archives to distill the Declaration of Independence down into a single tweet.  You have until Thursday at Noon EDT to tweet your ideas @Slate. The winner will be announced during the National Archive's 4th of July Celebration.  Read on for a full slate of #OpenGov news from Washington, around the U.S., and across the globe...

After a long weekend away, we're back with the latest open government news from Washington, around the U.S. and across the globe. Last week, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive filed a lawsuit concerning the White House's use of confidential messaging applications and its handling of the President's tweets. Read on for that story and much more.

The Washington Post confirmed our concerns that transparency and open government have had a bad six months in Washington, DC. "More and more in the Trump era, business in Washington is happening behind closed doors. The federal government’s leaders are hiding from public scrutiny — and their penchant for secrecy represents a stark departure from the campaign promises of Trump and his fellow Republicans to usher in newfound transparency." But the news isn't all bad. Read on for more #OpenGov news from around the country and across the globe.

On Friday, the Office of Government Ethics released President Trump's most recent financial disclosure documents. While not a substitute for the President's tax returns, this disclosure sheds some light on how winning the presidency has touched his assets and should help inform the public about his various business dealings. Read on for more on Trump's financial disclosure and all the latest open government news from around the U.S. and across the globe. 

We're looking for for stories that will inform the public, inspire reforms and hold our federal government to account, with help from a generous grant by the Rogovy Foundation. That, plus news on the Russia investigation, Congress's march away from regular order, Vermont's new ethics commission, and more today in #OpenGov.