POGO released back in June an article entitled Getting Byrned by Justice: Favoritism in the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program where the watchdog organization reported apparent conflicts of interest in the awarding of grants through the DOJ fiscal year 2007 Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Competitive Grants Program. Now DOJ is providing transparency on the website.
While researching the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program, POGO learned that DOJ had not been publicly posting a list of grant recipients for the past few years. In light of that inexcusable lack of transparency, we recommended that DOJ begin promptly posting grant recipients on their website--a FOIA request should not be required to get a list of federal grant recipients.
We're happy to announce that the FY08 grants are now posted on the DOJ website.
In a House subcommittee hearing on the OJP department, Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Sedgwick did tell the committee that "starting this year, OJP is requiring that any grants that have 'varied from peer review [scores] are fully documented.' " The real question is when will OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores who is still under investigation with the Inspector General and the Oversight Committee admit that he didn't provide transparency when ignored decision making grant process and granted certain organizations grants for political and religious agenda?
1 comment:
it will be so nice when the DOJ get it's shine back.
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