Please leave this field empty
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
  • About
  • Problems
  • Campaigns
  • Impacts
  • Research
  • Contact
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
  • facebook
  • twitter
Please leave this field empty
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
$
Menu
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Search
Please leave this field empty
  • facebook
  • twitter

Groups Sue To Force Kushner-led Innovation Office To Follow Federal Transparency Rules And Reveal Role In Shaping Infrastructure Policy

By Avoiding Transparency Requirements, Kushner-Led Office Blocks Critical Information From Public View Including Potential Financial Conflicts

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-plus
  • envelope

We all need safe food and clean water.

Donate
02.15.18

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Democracy Forward and Food & Water Watch filed a lawsuit against the Office of American Innovation (OAI) for attempting to skirt federal transparency laws as OAI takes a prominent role in shaping the Trump Administration’s infrastructure policy. By avoiding disclosure requirements, the Jared-Kushner-led entity prevents the public from seeing critical information, including information that would reveal whether OAI’s policy-making was improperly influenced by the Administration’s conflicts of interest.

Since its formation in March 2017, OAI has played a major role in crafting President Trump's infrastructure plan, building on advice given by the President's disbanded Infrastructure Council, which also had been operating in violation of federal transparency laws. The suit asserts that the wide-ranging powers exercised by OAI require it adhere to the Freedom of Information Act requirement that agencies—including those within the Executive Office of the President such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy—comply with public requests for information. To date, OAI has refused to acknowledge such requests, let alone produce documents in response.

“The public deserves to know what Jared Kushner is doing with their taxpayer dollars, and whether he designed an infrastructure plan that would enrich his former business partners and friends,” said Anne Harkavy, Executive Director of Democracy Forward. “Kushner’s group appears to be skirting transparency rules that would let the public see what it is doing. Now it’s time to let some sunlight into this black box.”

“This administration would rather govern from the shadows, so we’re taking it to the courts,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “Without transparency, we’ll never know for sure the extent to which Trump and Kushner are enriching their friends at our expense. Their plans are a giveaway to Wall Street, while our infrastructure crumbles—including our critical aging drinking water systems. We are in dire need of public investment, not privatization schemes.”

The foundation of the Administration's newly announced infrastructure proposal is based on an undisclosed 70-page set of “ principles” compiled by OAI. In addition, OAI officials have held closed-door negotiations with private business interests. Despite its active participation in developing White House policy and the extensive potential conflicts of its senior officials, including Kushner and Reed Cordish, OAI has refused to shed any light on critical details involving the development of the Trump Administration's infrastructure plan.

The new suit is part of the groups' Infrastructure Accountability Initiative, a series of actions designed to hold the Trump Administration accountable for an infrastructure plan that is poised to enrich President Trump's inner circle.

###

Democracy Forward is a nonprofit legal organization that scrutinizes Executive Branch activity across policy areas, represents clients in litigation to challenge unlawful actions, and educates the public when the White House or federal agencies break the law.

Food & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that put profits before people, and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment.

Press Contacts:

Charisma Troiano, 202-701-1781; [email protected]

Darcey Rakestraw, 202-683-2467; [email protected]

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

Monsanto's Roundup is a "probable human carcinogen." We need to ban it!

Get the latest on your food and water with news, research and urgent actions.

Please leave this field empty

Latest News

  • Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

    Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

  • Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

    Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

  • Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

    Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

See More News & Opinions

For Media: See our latest press releases and statements

Food & Water Insights

Looking for more insights and our latest research?

Visit our policy & research library
  • Renewable Natural Gas: Same Ol' Climate-Polluting Methane, Cleaner-Sounding Name

  • The Case to Ban Fracking on Federal Lands

  • Dangerously Deep: Fracking’s Threat to Human Health

Fracking activist with stickersFracking activist in hatLegal team loves family farmsFood & Water Watch organizer protecting your food

Work locally, make a difference.

Get active in your community.

Food & Water Impact

  • Victories
  • Stories
  • Facts
  • Trump, Here's a Better Use for $25 Billion

  • Here's How We're Going to Build the Clean Energy Revolution

  • How a California Activist Learned to Think Locally

Keep drinking water safe and affordable for everyone.

Take Action
food & water watch logo
en Español

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold & uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people’s health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

Food & Water Watch is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Food & Water Action is a 501(c)4 organization.

Food & Water Watch Headquarters

1616 P Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20036

Main: 202.683.2500

Contact your regional office.

Work with us: See all job openings

  • Problems
    • Broken Democracy
    • Climate Change & Environment
    • Corporate Control of Food
    • Corporate Control of Water
    • Factory Farming & Food Safety
    • Fracking
    • GMOs
    • Global Trade
    • Pollution Trading
  • Solutions
    • Advocate Fair Policies
    • Legal Action
    • Organizing for Change
    • Research & Policy Analysis
  • Our Impact
    • Facts
    • Stories
    • Victories
  • Take Action
    • Get Active Where You Live
    • Organizing Tools
    • Find an Event
    • Volunteer with Us
    • Live Healthy
    • Donate
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • Give Monthly
    • Give a Gift Membership
    • Membership Options
    • Fundraise
    • Workplace Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Other Ways to Give
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Learn more about Food & Water Action www.foodandwateraction.org.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • 2021 © Food & Water Watch
  • www.foodandwaterwatch.org
  • Terms of Service
  • Data Usage Policy