States Archives - Checks and Balances Project

Checks and Balances Project Asks Virginia to Revoke Medical License of President’s Physician Dr. Sean Conley

2020-10-15

To protect his medical license, Dr. Conley could have made it clear that he would not endanger the health and welfare of his patient or the public. He could have resigned. But he did not.

Sec. Betsy DeVos’s $40M Yacht Flies a Cayman Islands Flag, Yet Summers on Lake Michigan

2020-10-11

A tracking service reveals the “Seaquest” often summers in Lake Michigan, winters in the Caribbean. Is it tax avoidance or tax evasion?

U.S. Special Counsel to Investigate Our Complaint that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Violated Federal Law

2020-09-24

An attorney with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel was quick to respond to C&BP’s complaint alleging Secretary DeVos broke the law, saying we “will open a file to address this matter.”

Checks and Balances Project Files Complaint Against DeVos for Violating Federal Law

2020-09-14

The 1937 Hatch Act is clear: Officials of the U.S. government must not use their authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election. Nor may they engage in political activity while on duty.

Watchdog Group: DeVos Alleged Tax Avoidance Scheme Could Fund School Nurses for 263,000 Children

2020-09-1

By registering their $40M, 164-foot “Seaquest” yacht in the Caymans, the DeVos family appears to save an estimated $2.4M in Michigan taxes annually that could fund more school nurses.

Checks and Balances Project Calls on NYC Oversight Officials to Probe Stonewalling by Mayor’s Office, City Agencies on Public Records of $47M Boondoggle

2020-05-26

The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services has spent eight months evading requests for emails from former Chief Procurement Officer Michael Owh concerning the origins of a multi-million-dollar contract with an inexperienced French technology company. Four years after the City awarded Ivalua a lucrative contract for eProcurement software, the system still doesn’t work as promised.

NYC’s “End-to-End” eProcurement Pipe Dream: $47M Later, City Still Uses 2 Vendor Management Systems

2020-04-28

There’s confusion that vendors have to use two systems, even after millions of taxpayer dollars were spent on a new system to address the problem. In a time of collapsing city revenues, taxpayers will understandably ask: Why?

NYC Vendor System Appears Mired in “Red Tape,” Delaying First Order of Medical Supplies to Address Pandemic

2020-04-1

Despite the pandemic making eProcurement software all the more important so New York City can purchase crucial supplies, the product New York City bought in 2016 still doesn’t work as promised.

NYC Mayor’s Office of Contract Services Continues Its Slow-Motion Response to Questions on $47M Tech Boondoggle

2020-03-19

Why would it take weeks – when MOCS has already had months – to run a search of one former employee’s email account with one term? What is the Mayor’s Office hiding?

Longtime PADS Co-Founder Exits Group, Bringing Departures and Critics Total to 10

2020-02-20

Since we started tracking defections from PADS, Dr. Robert Campbell’s name was removed from its website. He is no longer listed directly underneath the other PADS co-founder, Phillip Zweig.