Investigations
Federal Court Rules the Biden Administration Illegally Cancelled ANWR Lease Sales
In a late March decision, the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska ruled that the Department of the Interior (DOI) acted unlawfully when it canceled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA). The court emphasized that, under the Tax…
Read MoreNew Study Shows North Carolina’s CON Law Blocked $3 billion in health care investment in 3 years
A new analysis by Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFP Foundation) shows North Carolina’s certificate-of-need (CON) program denied $2.8 billion in proposed health care investment since January 2022. The CON law requires health care providers to obtain approval from the Department of Health and Human Services before acquiring, replacing, or adding facilities, services, or equipment. AFP…
Read MoreTrump’s Executive Order Marks a Key Step Toward Reining in the Defense Production Act
By Kevin Schmidt and Thomas Kimbrell President Trump’s recent Executive Order rescinding the Biden Administration’s abuse of the Defense Production Act (DPA) is a welcome course correction—and a crucial reminder of why the DPA itself is in desperate need of reform. For too long, presidents of both parties have stretched the DPA far beyond its…
Read MoreWaste Watch: Five Alarming Examples of Government Waste You Paid For
Taxpayers deserve a government that works for them — one that’s transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, recent watchdog reports and findings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) highlight how federal agencies routinely fail to meet those standards. Over the past two months alone, audits and investigations published by Inspectors General have uncovered wasteful…
Read MoreAFP Foundation-Kansas Finally Receives Long-Awaited KORA Documents on STAR Bonds
After more than three years, Americans for Prosperity Foundation-Kansas has finally received the last batch of documents from our Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) request filed in November 2021 regarding the Kansas Department of Commerce’s administration of the STAR Bonds program. This long-overdue release follows an investigation by the Kansas Office of Attorney General, which…
Read MoreThe Biden VA’s “Independent” Echo Chamber on Community Care
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Executive Roundtable, or Red Team report on the supposed “Urgent Need to Address Community Care Spending,” sold itself as an independent and authoritative report, but instead it was a conduit for the VA and the Biden Administration to publish its own views through third parties, wasting taxpayer dollars and government time…
Read MoreKevin Schmidt in the Washington Reporter: Three ways the Trump administration can clean up the Biden disinformation mess
Read the article at the Washington Reporter. The Trump administration is off to a good start protecting Americans’ online speech by dismantling the Biden administration’s “disinformation” regime. On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship” and dissolved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advisory boards. These actions mark a…
Read MoreEverything wrong with the FOIA process, in one single email
If you’ve ever filed a public records request, you may have experienced delays, improper denials, lack of communication, or all of the above. What’s less common is when an agency gives a requester a responsive record and then demands it be given back or destroyed, also known as a “clawback.” In 2022, the Federal Trade…
Read More3 Model Policies to Boost State Transparency at the Start of Legislative Sessions
As state legislative sessions kick off across the country, it is an opportune time to prioritize policies that enhance transparency, empower citizens, and foster accountability. The Right on Transparency coalition, of which Americans for Prosperity Foundation is the founding member, has identified key areas where states can lead the way. Three of the coalition’s model…
Read MoreKansas Attorney General Rules Commerce Department Violated KORA in Response to 2021 Request from AFP Foundation
Over three years ago, Americans for Prosperity Foundation-Kansas filed a Kansas Open Records Act request with the Department of Commerce seeking records about the Sales Tax and Revenue (“STAR”) Bonds financing program. After failing to receive all the requested documents, we filed a Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) complaint against the Department of Commerce in December 2022. Last…
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