UPDATED May 15, 2017

As first reported by POLITICO, the Government Accountability Office has agreed to audit the causes and extent of the funding transparency violations first documented in the Ivy League Flunkers report released last month by White Coat Waste Project and Restore Accountability. The report found that 100% of Ivy League press releases released in 2016 about NIH-funded animal experiments violated federal funding disclosure law.

The GAO only undertakes a small fraction of the audits requested but prioritized this one submitted by influential Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), John McCain (R-AZ), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).  More details about the original request are posted below. This is the second GAO audit prompted by a WCW investigation in just the past 90 days.

—

Originally posted on April 25, 2017

Following the release of a scathing new report by White Coat Waste Project and Restore Accountability documenting rampant violations of federal funding disclosure laws by taxpayer-funded Ivy League animal experimenters, Congress’s foremost waste warriors are calling for a federal audit.

Washington Times, Politico and others are reporting that today, Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), John McCain (R-AZ), and Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an investigation into the causes and extent of the spending transparency problems documented by their offices and in WCW’s Ivy League Flunkers report. In their letter to the GAO, the Senators write:

Unfortunately, Congressional oversight has shown that many recipients of federal funds are not complying with this longstanding taxpayer transparency law. We have found most of the documents and statements issued by the recipients of federal funds from these departments reviewed by our offices did not disclose the costs. In some cases, neither the funding agency nor the recipient could or would provide this information when asked.  

We believe it is unacceptable for agencies and grant recipients to disregard longstanding transparency requirements, and those agencies have an obligation to spend taxpayer dollars effectively and efficiently.  

These Senators are the leaders on efforts to expose and cut government waste. Recently, Sen. Flake has authored the influential Wastebook, Sen. Lankford released his hard-hitting Federal Fumbles report, Sen. McCain published the jaw-dropping America’s Most Wasted, and Sen. Paul has released important editions of his Waste Report. Sen. Johnson is chairman of the Senate’s powerful government oversight committee and a champion of critical legislation like the Bolster Accountability to Drive Government Efficiency and Reform (BADGER) Washington Act to cut government waste, fraud and abuse.

With widespread bipartisan public support and leadership from these powerful lawmakers, we’re optimistic about our ongoing efforts to increase transparency and accountability about wasteful taxpayer-funded animal experiments.