Tag: Watchdog

Congress' budget scorekeeper slashed its estimate of the federal government's deficit for 2014 from $560 billion to $514 billion, which would be the smallest deficit since before the financial crisis. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Former bank chief gets 17 years in prison for TARP fraud

Kelly Cohen · September 18, 2013 12:00 am

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wants to know if CFPB has harmed the U.S. Trustee Program by improperly using it to capture millions of bankruptcy case files it couldnât otherwise obtain. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Sen. Chuck Grassley, Rep. Spencer Bachus want answers on CFPB data-mining, bankruptcy files

Richard Pollock · September 18, 2013 12:00 am

EXography: No public tours, but 344 visits by lobbyists to the White House

EXography: No public tours, but 344 visits by lobbyists to the White House

Luke Rosiak · September 17, 2013 12:00 am

Ronald Binz, former chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and nominee to the Federal Regulatory Commission, speaks at an Energy and Natural Resources Committee meeting on Capitol Hill Tuesday. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)

Energy and Environment

FERC nominee Ron Binz grilled over ‘shadow team’ of lobbyists, PR flacks

Michal Conger · September 17, 2013 12:00 am

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday before the House Financial Services Committee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

CFPB’s data-mining on consumer credit cards challenged in heated House hearing

Richard Pollock · September 13, 2013 4:00 am

Department of Energy officials have spent seven years and $603 million to prove the commercial viability of biofuels, a major focus of the Obama administration's energy plan, but instead have missed their own goals and failed to make biorefineries commercially viable. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Energy and Environment

Department of Energy spends $603m to fail its own biofuel goals

Michal Conger · September 13, 2013 4:00 am

U.S. flags are shown outside of General Motors world headquarters in a Detroit file photo from April 18, 2006. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

General Motors bailout czar downplayed role in Delphi union pension deal

Michal Conger · September 13, 2013 4:00 am

FOIA ombudsman not ensuring agencies follow transparency laws

Michal Conger · September 13, 2013 4:00 am

The U.S. government has spentÃÂ $96 billion in a dozen years on Afghan reconstruction. (AP File)

US has no anti-corruption strategy for Afghan reconstruction

Michal Conger · September 11, 2013 4:00 am

A member of the Afghan National Security Forces patrols on Sept. 8. As part of the 2014 transition, the U.S. is building facilities worth $4.7 billion and transferring existing U.S. bases to hold Afghan National Security Forces troops. But officials didn't take existing U.S. buildings and future troop drawdowns into consideration, and may be left with expensive empty buildings, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

US spending billions on buildings in Afghanistan that may go wasted

Michal Conger · September 11, 2013 4:00 am

ÃÂ Jonathan Silver, executive director of the Department of Energy Loans Programs Office, left, and Jeffrey Zients, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, testify during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Solyndra in September 2011. (Photo Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg.)

Energy and Environment

Lobbyists’ email asks Darrell Issa panel not to question former Energy official over emails

Michal Conger · September 10, 2013 4:00 am

Consumer Financial Protection Board headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)

CFPB threatens independence of bankruptcy office

Richard Pollock · September 9, 2013 4:00 am