Government Accountability Project

09/02/2026

Now featured on Status Coup News, our Senior Environmental Officer Lesley Pacey dives into the previously concealed government documents our team received after submitting FOIAs.

These documents reveal the EPA knew their vent-and-burn of derailed train cars in could cause mass casualties, but chose to withhold this information from the public, to the benefit of Norfolk Southern.

Included in the 900+ page document we received were emails showing EPA officials permitting Norfolk Southern to detonate rail cars despite expert warnings against it, EPA officials expressing relief that their risk models stayed internal, and data on projected deaths from the open vent-and-burn.

In light of our report, J.D. Vance and EPA's Lee Zeldin are now calling on the EPA Inspector General to undertake a federal investigation on the issue. However, further action is needed to serve a community that for 3+ years has suffered government neglect and cancer rates, which continue to rise in across western Pennsylvania.

Listen to the full story:

Status Coup’s Jordan Chariton interviews Lesley Pacey, senior envir...

09/02/2026

⚡️ Government Accountability Project welcomes the call for investigation by J.D. Vance and Lee Zeldin into the response, while urging that more action is needed for a community that has spent 3+ years living with the consequences of this disaster.

Vance and Zeldin's request for investigation rose promptly after we published a report revealing that the EPA withheld projected mass casualty data from the public. Learn more: https://whistleblower.org/press/records-undercut-justification-for-east-palestine-vent-and-burn/

“We have fought alongside the people of East Palestine for years to get answers about what happened to their community, what they were exposed to, and whether the government agencies responsible for protecting them did their jobs. But an investigation is only the first step,” stated Senior Environmental Officer Lesley Pacey.

“The people of East Palestine can’t afford another lengthy process that produces a report and then gathers dust on a shelf. What is uncovered must lead to action including following the evidence wherever it leads, and ensuring residents have access to the health monitoring, relocation assistance, and other resources they need. Residents have already done their part. Now, it is time for government officials to do theirs.”

Read on:

August 31, 2026 Government Accountability Project Welcomes Call for Independent Investigation into East Palestine Response WASHINGTON—Government Accountability Project welcomes the call by Vice President J.D. Vance and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin for the EPA Offi...

09/01/2026

Saying it again for those in the back: truth-telling is a nonpartisan concern. ⚡️

Learn why whistleblower protection has support on both sides of the political aisle from our Legal Director, Tom Devine ⬇️

09/01/2026

📣 We're thrilled our Legal Director Tom Devine will be presenting at the 2026 Workplace Promise Institute Conference! Join us on Sept. 16 as Devine shares Capitol Hill updates during the Legislative Briefing Panel alongside Aishah Johnson, John Kiriakou, Emily Fertitta, and Ryan Sweazey.

The Workplace Promise Institute Conference serves to uplift whistleblowers and safe workplace advocates, sharing strategies for building resilience, accountability, and lasting reform.

Register today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-workplace-promise-institute-conference-tickets-1986877825060

Learn more about the conference: https://www.workplacepromiseinstitute.org/wpi-conference

You are invited to the Workplace Promise Institute Conference Legislative Briefing on September 16, 2026, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM EST at the Senate Russell Building (Room SR-385).

https://www.workplacepromiseinstitute.org/wpi-conference

Get your tickets today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-workplace-promise-institute-conference-tickets-1986877825060?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

08/31/2026

🚊 After submitting FOIA requests to investigate the 2023 East Palestine, OH train derailment, our Senior Environmental Officer Lesley Pacey obtained documents previously hidden for 3+ years.

These revealed how the EPA knew their "controlled burn" of train cars could cause 1.9k deaths and 17k serious injuries to locals, but proceeded anyway.

Now, Pacey shares on Fox News how the EPA concealed public health risks, and why the government must restore justice for residents.

Government Accountability Project has been investigating the Norfolk Southern train derailment since 2023 and renews its call for congressional investigations, federally funded health care for locals, relocation assistance, and National Priorities List designation.

Watch the full Fox News broadcast:

Government Accountability Project senior officer Lesley Pacey discusses what she uncovered about the 2023 East Palestine train derailment in Ohio on 'The Bottom Line.'

08/29/2026

🗳️ With midterms underway, we must protect those facilitating fair transitions of power: election officials and workers.

Our public guide, "On the Front Lines of Democracy: A Guide to Speaking Up for Election Workers," equips civil servants with understanding of their rights and lawful avenues for reporting misconduct.

By offering legal advice, resources, and if needed, representation in court, we stand ready again in 2026 to counter threats to election integrity.

Share our election guide today:https://whistleblower.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FINAL-Election-Guide.pdf 📣

08/27/2026

TODAY we filed a new lawsuit for Stars and Stripes staff fired for supporting the publication's editorial independence when covering the Pentagon.

Learn more about our lawsuit seeking to right this wrong. ⬇️

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 27, 2026 Media Contact: Teresa Mozur, 301.375.0451, [email protected] Jordan Wilhelmi (L4GG), [email protected] Government Accountability Project, [email protected] Stars and Stripes Journalists Sue Pentagon to Halt Retaliatory Firings Lawsuit a...

08/25/2026

BREAKING: The government knew mass casualties could occur from the East Palestine Train Derailment fires but decided to proceed with an unnecessary burn of the train cars anyway.

Officials warned each other about possible deaths, but kept it from the people whose lives were at stake.

READ NOW! 👇

August 25, 2026 Buried Records Undercut Justification for East Palestine Vent-and-Burn WASHINGTON—Government Accountability Project released concerning details surrounding Department of Defense (DOD) documents hidden for more than three years that show government officials expected mass casualties...

08/25/2026

🧐 Did you know? This American Life podcast episode "The Out Crowd,” featuring our whistleblower and former asylum officer Doug Stephens, won the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded to a radio show.

Aired in 2020, the podcast explores the on-the-ground impacts of Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and “Remain in Mexico” policy, outlining conditions of domestic refugee camps and the risks individuals face when forced to cross back into Mexico. 🇲🇽

Doug Stephens, former DOJ attorney, worked as an asylum officer from 2017-2019. His experience led him to believe that implementing Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) violated numerous laws and treaty obligations, posing harm to individuals mandated to remain in Mexico.

Since the episode aired, the federal administration has intensified its border enforcement further.

Listen to the full podcast to learn more:

What the Trump administration’s "Remain in Mexico" policy really means, on the ground, at the Mexican border.

08/24/2026

WATCH NOW: Our clients revealed there were carcinogens in the soil in East Palestine, Ohio that were “above screening levels, which means you can’t walk away from it.”

Yet, residents are learning this three years after the toxic train derailment. 👇

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