Bismarck, ND November 20-It has been an incredible week for the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity. Rio Grande Foundation reporter Jim Scarantino exposed the administrations stimulus tracking website, Recovery.gov, for its creation of phantom congressional districts and false job claims. Scarantino’s article inspired the reporters associated with Watchdog.org, a project of Franklin Center to investigate each state and take a closer look at Recovery.gov.
The results of the investigation by Watchdog Reporters have dominated news headlines across the country, forcing Members of Congress to investigate and pressure the Stimulus Program to be more open and honest with the American people.
- False information uncovered on Recovery.gov by Watchdog investigators.
- $6.4 billion in federal stimulus payments went to 440 non-existing congressional districts.
- All fifty states, Washington D.C. and American Territories affected by bogus claims.
- Obama administration removes false information red flagged by Watchdog journalists.
- Earl Devaney, Chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board explains incompetence to lawmakers. “You and the American public are now seeing what agencies have seen internally for years, and what we are all seeing, at least following this first reporting period, is not particularly pretty.”
Media outlets such as Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, ABC News and Washington Times, are sourcing Franklin Center and crediting the Watchdog reporters.
There is no doubt that the Franklin Center has made government more open and honest this past week. News outlets are taking notice of our fine work and the investigative prowess of Watchdog.org and the reporters associated with nonprofit journalism.
