American Oversight

05/28/2026

The Department of Justice deleted the press releases about charges against Jan. 6 rioters.

If DOJ permanently erases those records, it would violate federal law.

DOJ deleted press releases on charges against Capitol rioters from the agency’s website. We warned the agency that permanently erasing the records would violate the Federal Records Act (FRA).

05/28/2026

NEW LAWSUIT: Last fall, Congress passed a law barring government from shielding anyone in the Epstein investigation.

We’re suing for records on how staff were told to review records afterwards – especially after claims they’d previously been told to flag mentions of Trump.

A new lawsuit seeks records about alleged instructions to DOJ and FBI staff to “flag” files related to President Trump.

05/26/2026

FBI agents were reportedly told to flag mentions of Donald Trump in the Epstein files. But Congress passed a law making it illegal to shield Trump, or anyone else, during the investigation.

Pam Bondi will answer members of Congress’s questions on May 29. Here’s why we still need answers — and how we’re fighting for them.
https://americanoversight.org/pam-bondi-epstein-files-congress-testimony-foia/

05/21/2026

Navy personnel were reportedly told to delete photos and videos after a boat strike. When we asked NARA to investigate, they said there wasn’t enough proof.

Now, the Navy says they’re investigating the incident.

That should be plenty of proof for NARA. It is time to investigate.
https://americanoversight.org/nara-boat-strikes-federal-records-act/

05/20/2026

BREAKING: A judge granted an emergency order that could prevent the destruction or loss of presidential records.

The partial injunction requires the White House Office, DOGE, and all advisors to the president to comply in full with the PRA. Without this court intervention, records documenting presidential decision-making could have been “lost to history.”
https://americanoversight.org/emergency-order-presidential-records-act/

05/13/2026

We’re seeking urgent court action to stop the Trump administration from disregarding the Presidential Records Act.
https://americanoversight.org/trump-admin-presidential-records-act-lawsuit-statement-05132026/

05/13/2026

We’re back in court today, fighting to stop the Trump admin from evading the Presidential Records Act.

If the court doesn’t act, presidential records could be lost or destroyed forever.

05/11/2026

This is a directory of DOGE operatives at DOD that we obtained through FOIA—but all the faces and names are redacted.

DOGE has immense power. We need to know who works for it and how it operates.

But the Trump admin is hiding it behind black boxes.

Read more about how DOGE is avoiding transparency — and how we’re fighting back.
https://americanoversight.org/investigation/everything-we-know-about-doge-and-why-we-dont-know-more/

05/08/2026

We filed FOIA requests for communications from a senior DOJ official, to find out what is going on behind the closed doors.
https://americanoversight.org/splc-politicized-prosecution-foia-investigation/

04/30/2026

ICE is famously opaque, from the balaclavas many agents have been wearing to hide their faces to the agency’s misleading characterizations of its conduct. Because ICE lacks transparency, public records requests are an essential tool to find out what the agency is really doing.

But ICE is avoiding public records requests about its partnerships with more than 1,000 police and sheriffs’ offices.
https://americanoversight.org/ice-287g-foia-transparency/