There are very few occasions in the Sunlight offices for us to use the fax machine, so we were somewhat out of practice when we learned that we had to use it to send Freedom of Information Act requests to the Department of Treasury. At least the fax is instantaneous: we received most of our responses from them via snail mail.
To do this story, which involved looking into various agencies in charge of the bailout of the financial sector, we had to file seven FOIA requests--all sent via fax to Treasury--then make several phone calls to follow up on ...
Continue readingNon-earmark disclosing lawmakers feted by transportation interests
At least a dozen lawmakers who didn't disclose their transportation earmarks are the beneficiaries of trasnportation fundraisers this year, according to Party Time. Click here to see who. We've also updated this online database to include party information.
Continue readingAbramoff Claimed Close Ties to Karl Rove:
Former associates of Jack Abramoff claim that the ex-lobbyist “frequently told them he had strong ties to the White House through presidential confidant Karl Rove.” The Associated Press reports that, “One said he was present when Abramoff took a call from Rove's office to confirm a White House meeting had been approved between Malaysia's prime minister and Bush in May 2002. Abramoff was being paid by Malaysia for helping it in Washington, according to evidence the Senate has made public.” Rove’s executive assistant is Susan Ralston, a former top assistant to Abramoff. Rove, through a spokesman, describes Abramoff as a “casual acquaintance.”
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