Government Accountability Project

It wasn’t until June 19, 1865—two years after Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation—that Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed Black slaves that freedom had come.

Over 150 years later, we continue to see over-policing of Black communities, redlining, and mass incarceration of people of color. These are not isolated incidents, but deliberate attacks on Black communities.

⚡️ Juneteenth denotes a moment when freedom was postponed. May freedom, dignity, and justice for Black communities be delayed no further.



📷: August de Richelieu

🪖 Every service member lives at the intersection of two duties. One is to obey lawful orders; the other is to uphold the Constitution and the law, which includes refusing to enforce "patently illegal" orders.

In this historic moment, service members face a heightened operational tempo and an accountability infrastructure under systemic strain.

National Guard units have deployed for extended missions in multiple U.S. cities under contested legal authority; the Inspector General complaint process has changed; and airstrikes against alleged drug traffickers have drawn scrutiny from military lawyers. Yet the law remains.

Enacted in 1988, the Military Whistleblower Protection Act (MWPA) affords service members the right to report serious wrongdoing to authorized recipients, including members of Congress, the Inspector General, and more.

Learn more in our free "Truth-Telling in the Military" guide:https://whistleblower.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Government-Accountability-Project-Military-Whistleblowing-Guide.pdf

At Wednesday's SAC hearing, Senator Chuck Grassley questioned Secretary Rollins on why USDA delayed the Poultry Grower Payment Systems & Capital Improvement Systems rule—a regulation that would protect poultry farmers against mistreatment by large poultry corporations. 🧑🏾‍🌾

Hear their exchange at 02:48:10: https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings/oversight-of-the-us-department-of-agriculture-06-10-2026

It's encouraging to see lawmakers including Senator Grassley demanding accountability from USDA, as the agency has allowed giant poultry corporations to enrich themselves at the expense of American farmers.

Learn more about the delayed Poultry Grower Payment Systems & Capital Improvement Systems rule: https://whistleblower.org/press/government-accountability-project-opposes-delay-of-good-poultry-rule/ ⚖️

Oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture | The United States Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Full Committee Hearing on June 10, 2026 at 6:00 AM

Too often, our government has allowed large poultry corporations to enrich themselves while keeping generations of farmers in extreme debt. 💰

With this in mind, we oppose USDA's decision to needlessly delay implementation of the Poultry Grower Payment Systems and Capital Improvement Systems. This rule aims to protect poultry farmers and increase their income certainty—its delay may be USDA's pretext for killing the rule altogether.

"Corporate agriculture has had a year and a half to prepare for these important protections for the family farm, farmer whistleblowers, and agricultural diversity. In fact, it has taken over a century for these reforms to finally see the light of day," stated Government Accountability Project CEO Louis Clark.

"It is inexcusable to further delay and possible kill these changes which were first inspired by the historic muckrakers of another era to provide a fair shake for farmers and ranchers."

Government Accountability Project remains committed to advocating for farmers' rights in Congress. Learn more: https://whistleblower.org/press/government-accountability-project-opposes-delay-of-good-poultry-rule/

🧪 This week, our investigators verified that EPA violated sampling protocols when testing for dioxins after the East Palestine, OH train derailment, skewing results and showing low contamination.

By utilizing plastic bags to collect samples, EPA broke established standards for accurate dioxin collection.

"EPA knows these practices violate long-established dioxin sampling protocols, yet the agency not only allowed them, it memorialized them on its own website,” said Government Accountability Project Senior Environmental Officer Lesley Pacey. "Residents suffering chronic illness, immune dysfunction, and cancers deserve an independent reassessment of the environmental and public health threats in East Palestine."

Government Accountability Project continues to investigate government neglect and negligence in East Palestine following Norfolk Southern's 2023 train derailment.

Learn more: https://whistleblower.org/press/epa-broke-dioxin-sampling-protocols-in-east-palestine/

Food safety may not be dominating headlines, but it's essential for keeping nutritious food on our tables and holding corporations accountable for preventing food-borne illnesses.

Over the years, we’ve pushed for food safety in a variety of cases:

🥬 This April, we filed a lawsuit against USDA for withholding records about known food supply contamination caused by Norfolk Southern’s 2023 train derailment in , OH. The USDA failed to notify residents about the risks of consuming garden produce or local game.

🐣 We represented poultry whistleblower Craig Watts in court, who exposed Purdue’s unsafe poultry containment practices that increased risk of salmonella. His disclosure also revealed the predatory debt practices and "tournament system" farmers face, as well as the urgent need for accountability in the poultry industry.

🥛 As part of the Make It Safe Coalition, we’re demanding government action to protect the safety of infant formula, in light of recent botulism outbreaks linked to formula brands such as ByHeart.

Access to safe and nutritious food is a right—not a privilege.


Learn more about East Palestine, OH food contamination: https://whistleblower.org/press/usda-records-reveal-withheld-food-safety-risks-in-east-palestine/

Learn more about Craig Watts: https://whistleblower.org/in-the-news/climate-news-fairmont-farmers-defiant-stand-against-poultry-industrys-uneven-playing-field/

Learn more about infant formula safety: https://whistleblower.org/in-the-news/food-safety-news-coalition-of-consumer-advocates-demands-action-on-infant-formula/

At this moment, we are suing multiple federal agencies for fraud, misconduct, and corruption… often, it feels like we’re locked in an endless battle of David vs. Goliath. The odds are stacked against us with powerful agencies as our opponents—yet we win the majority of our court cases. ⚡️

Learn why below ⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IuQRTJts78c

The Power of The Truth At any given moment, we're in the process of suing federal agencies and wealthy industry giants for fraud, misconduct, and corruption… often, it feels like w...

Whistleblowers have had a tough year as their protections are systematically dismantled, but it's not too late for lawmakers to reinforce them.

Read more from Project On Government Oversight about the ongoing whistleblower cases, including ours, and what can be done. ⬇️

Congress Must Protect Whistleblowers After a Year of Attacks Whistleblower protections are being systematically dismantled, but it’s not too late for lawmakers to fight to reinforce them.