FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
September 8, 2014 Mary Beth Hutchins, 202-400-2721
Cause of Action Launches Online Resource: ExecutiveBranchEarmarks.com
WASHINGTON – Cause of Action (CoA), a government accountability organization, launched a new online resource today for those concerned about political influence on discretionary spending: ExecutiveBranchEarmarks.com.
While Congressional earmarks were banned in 2010 and 2011, Executive Branch Earmarks took their place. Political priorities, insider access to the President, and vote buying are some ways that the President and his political allies benefit from Executive Branch, or agency level, earmarks.
Cause of Action’s three-year-long investigation has revealed the lack of transparency in the way executive branch earmarking occurs. While congressional earmarks were listed in a publicly available database, Executive Branch Earmarks happen in secret.
Cause of Action’s Executive Director Dan Epstein said:
“Earmarks are not dead, they have just changed form. The danger of Executive Branch Earmarks is that the White House, not the taxpayers, can pick who receives our tax dollars. Worse, unlike congressional earmarks, there is no transparency with Executive Branch Earmarks. ExecutiveBranchEarmarks.com is a resource for learning how federal spending is being politicized.”
Visit the new ExecutiveBranchEarmarks.com.
About Cause of Action:
Cause of Action is a non-profit, nonpartisan government accountability organization that fights to protect economic opportunity when federal regulations, spending and cronyism threaten it. For more information, visit www.causeofaction.org.
To schedule an interview with Cause of Action’s Executive Director Dan Epstein, contact Mary Beth Hutchins, mary.beth.hutchins@causeofaction.org.
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