Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

Consumer Group: Electricity Price-Gouging Feared Until Bids Made Public

Enron Corp.'s manipulation of the California energy market in 2000 and 2001 is notorious. Electricity bills soared and blackouts affected hundreds of thousands of people as contemptuous traders with Enron, a power wholesaler, delighted in their scheme. Tapes of traders released in 2004 contained infuriating nuggets like this: "Just cut 'em off... They should just bring back f------ horses and carriages, f------ lamps, f------ kerosene lamps."

OGD: Reviewing EPA's interactive datasets

The Environmental Protection Agency has been ahead of several other cabinet level agencies when it comes to putting data online. For several years now some of their main datasets are available with interactive features such as maps and in a downloadable format. Now according to EPA’s open government plan, the agency is planning on releasing several new data driven projects by the end of 2010, some of which are already public.

Civil rights groups want details on immigrant fingerprint program

As Arizona turns up the heat on illegal immigrants, civil rights groups are demanding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) release details about a rapidly expanding federal program that helps local police identify illegal immigrants for potential deportation. The Center for Constitutional Rights and two other groups filed a lawsuit on April 27 attempting to force ICE to turn over data about its “Secure Communities” program after failing to get the information through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Committee members grilling Goldman have recieved Wall Street giant's money

Four of the 10 committee members on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that grilled Goldman Sachs today have received campaign contributions from the Wall Street Giant. The amounts and recipients are as follows:

Illegal immigrant stats available, but yet to appear on Data.gov

According to Department of Homeland Security statistics, there were an estimated 460,000 unauthorized immigrants in Arizona in January 2009. That statistic, making Arizona the state with the seventh largest illegal immigrant population, was often cited last week, as Gov. Jan Brewer signed the nation’s toughest law on illegal immigration.

New Lobbyist Bundler Database Not Yet Searchable

When  Democrats took over both chambers of Congress following the 2006 elections, one of their top priorities was a bill with tougher lobbying disclosure requirements.   It  was signed into law in September 2007 , but a provision requiring disclosure of money “bundling” by registered lobbyists took longer than expected to take effect. The Federal Election Commission (FEC), hobbled by the lack of a quorum for most of 2008, did not put the new  disclosure rules into effect until February of 2009. The regulations created a system in which a  political committee  must identify and report  bundlers of more than $16,000 per half-year period.  Bundlers, of course, are that unique Washington creature who are able to gather lots of political donations from friends and family and then hand the money to a committee, saving the candidate much time and effort in fundraising.

SEC and CFTC exclude derivatives from joint regulatory review

As part of the broader push to strengthen regulation of the financial industry, two agencies with sometimes conflicting responsibilities and rules joined forces to see how harmonizing their efforts might be effective in, among other things, protecting against fraud and forcing foreign trade organizations to register with them before doing business within the United States. However, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, released yesterday, highlights that the two agencies, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), did not assess how they could cover gaps in the agencies’ authorities to oversee derivatives—a central part of the reform being debated in congress.

OGD: A state-by-state look at Medicare payments

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Using TransparencyData.com to track Goldman's partners

We all know, thanks to the Center for Responsive Politics, that Goldman Sachs is a heavy hitter--in the 2008 presidential cycle, among the top donors to both Barack Obama and John McCain, that its employees, their family members and its PAC favor Democrats in their giving by a two to one margin (and three to one in the 2008 election cycle), and Goldman Sachs has been among the top 100 donors to 286 election campaign committees for members of Congress.

Financial reform lobbyists host fundraisers for senators

Sen. Lincoln's proposed reform moves to the Senate floor for debate

The financial reform legislation regarding derivatives voted 13-8 out of the Senate Agriculture Committee this morning and on to the Senate floor. It’s intended to fend off any future government bailouts and prohibit the risky behavior banks participate in that caused the 2008 financial meltdown. But of course, the very organizations that these new laws will affect are using their money and expertise to influence the lawmakers in charge of making reform happen.

BLM fights to keep secret names of ranchers with grazing permits

Public land grazing elicits some pretty damning declarations. Former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt once called livestock grazing “the most damaging use of public lands.” And conservation groups, like WildEarth Guardians, go further: “Livestock production is the most widespread and destructive activity on . . . western landscapes.”

New TARP watchdog report cites poor progress and several fraud investigations

The Office of the Special Inspector General of the Troubles Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) released a quarterly report today stating that although, Wall Street is beginning to regain its footing, Main Street has been showing “disturbingly persistent” signs of distress. 

Local goverment contractors receive billions in 2010

One of the largest government contracts for 2010 thus far was awarded to two companies in the DC metro area to process non-immigrant visa applications. The $2.8 billion, 10-year State Department contract went to Computer Sciences Corp., a small business based in Laurel, Md., and Stanley Associates based in Arlington, Va.