CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDB's Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      Politics

      New Progressive Oversight Group Wants to Make Trump’s Cabinet Miserable

      WATCHING

      Restore Public Trust says it will unearth and publicize corruption in the administration. Its first targets are under-the-radar Trump officials.

      Sam Stein

      Updated Nov. 08, 2018 10:15AM ET / Published Nov. 08, 2018 8:44AM ET 
      exclusive

      Leah Mills/Reuters

      Top Democratic operatives and open-government activists are launching a new group designed to make life miserable for Trump Cabinet officials.

      The group, Restore Public Trust, is formally a nonpartisan public-interest group with designs on promoting accountability and transparency in government. But its immediate purpose is to unearth and publicize instances of corruption—or ethically dubious behavior—by members of the president’s team who have largely avoided public scrutiny. Chief on the list, according to Restore Public Trust Executive Director Caroline Ciccone, is Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue right out of the gate.

      “Corruption has infected the Trump administration,” Ciccone said in an interview with The Daily Beast. “And there are a lot of folks, high-level government officials and appointees, who have the benefit of not being in the spotlight. We will be making sure that if there is a there-there, it is exposed.”

      In announcing its formation, Restore Public Trust joins a constellation of progressive-oriented accountability groups that have launched in response to Donald Trump’s presidency. Among the list are American Oversight, Protect Democracy, and The Moscow Project. But whereas those other organizations either have a specific topical focus or are geared toward litigation, Restore Public Trust is designed primarily as a communications arm.

      Ciccone said her group, which will operate as a nonpartisan 501c3, would provide “complementary strategies” to the others, coordinate with relevant stakeholders, and conduct its own research. There would be no “in-house legal capacity.” Instead, it would try to leverage media coverage and Hill connections, with an assist from its advisory board, which includes long-serving Democratic operatives and good-government officials like Shripal Shah, Melanie Sloan, Melissa Bonine, Brad Woodhouse, and Kyle Herrig.

        Already, officials at Restore Public Trust have had conversations with congressional aides and lawmakers. And it’s commissioned polling that effectively underscores the reason for its existence. According to a survey released by the organization, 65 percent of respondents said they believe the Trump administration “has a serious corruption problem;” 82 percent said Congress should be responsible for oversight; but 57 percent believe that lawmakers are failing in that role.

        “I think success is exposing new information that we didn’t know before,” said Ciccone. “We know this is an important issue to the American people and, up until this point, Congress has abdicated their responsibility on oversight.”

        Sam Stein

        @samstein

        Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Best Picks
        • Coupons
        • Coupons:
        • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
        • HP Coupon Codes
        • Chewy Promo Codes
        • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
        • NordVPN Coupons
        • JCPenny Coupons
        • Nordstrom Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC