| Line 5: |
Line 5: |
| | | | |
| | The Trump administration won’t know what hit them. Independent FOIA litigation paired with aggressive congressional oversight creates a nightmare for federal agencies because of the different levers litigants and members of Congress can pull to enforce their demands.<ref>https://dcdirtylaundry.com/secret-shadow-group-funded-by-obama-officials-launched-probe-into-trump-on-ukraine-russia-hoax-well-before-whistleblower-complaint/</ref>}} | | The Trump administration won’t know what hit them. Independent FOIA litigation paired with aggressive congressional oversight creates a nightmare for federal agencies because of the different levers litigants and members of Congress can pull to enforce their demands.<ref>https://dcdirtylaundry.com/secret-shadow-group-funded-by-obama-officials-launched-probe-into-trump-on-ukraine-russia-hoax-well-before-whistleblower-complaint/</ref>}} |
| − | Austin Evers, a former senior counsel in the Obama State Department, founded the organization in March 2017. The group claims to be non-partisan, but most of its staff have worked for Democrat administrations, lawmakers, or groups, ''Breitbart News'' reported. The organization has managed to keep its donors hidden from the public. | + | Austin Evers, a former senior counsel in the Obama State Department, founded the organization in March 2017. The group claims to be non-partisan, but most of its staff have worked for Democrat administrations, lawmakers, or groups, ''[[Breitbart News]]'' reported. The organization has managed to keep its donors hidden from the public. |
| | | | |
| − | One founding member, Melanie Sloan, is a former federal prosecutor and Capitol Hill staffer who worked for now Senate Minority Leader [[Chuck Schumer]] (D-N.Y.) and then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), said in an interview with ''USA Today'' that the group is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not plan to disclose its funding sources. | + | One founding member, Melanie Sloan, is a former federal prosecutor and Capitol Hill staffer who worked for now Senate Minority Leader [[Chuck Schumer]] (D-N.Y.) and then-Sen. [[Joe Biden]] (D-Del.), said in an interview with ''[[USA Today]]'' that the group is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and does not plan to disclose its funding sources. |
| | | | |
| − | Conservative watchdog Influence Watch has noted the group was founded after liberal “mega-donors” met at a swanky Florida retreat in January 2017 to plot ways to disrupt the Trump administration using litigation. The retreat was sponsored by former David Brock, founder of Media Matters. | + | Conservative watchdog Influence Watch has noted the group was founded after liberal “mega-donors” met at a swanky Florida retreat in January 2017 to plot ways to disrupt the Trump administration using litigation. The retreat was sponsored by former [[David Brock]], founder of [[Media Matters]]. |
| | | | |
| | ==References== | | ==References== |