Mark: Last Thursday, POGO’s board, current and former staff, supporters, and good government allies gathered to commemorate POGO’s 45th anniversary and honor the incredible legacy of our president and a hero of American democracy, Danielle Brian.
Danielle’s career as a watchdog spans over 40 years. Since taking the helm of POGO, she has had an enormous impact, creating the playbook for modern accountability work and building the foundation for a new generation of oversight champions to carry on the work. Under her stewardship, POGO has grown in scope, size, and impact, becoming a leading watchdog in Washington — over 50+ staff members strong — and a trusted ally to good government champions both in and outside the government.
Danielle is a true force. In the early days, she worked with an anonymous whistleblower to expose fraud and waste in the Energy Department’s Superconducting Super Collider, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of the program. And she worked with Jim Burton, the whistleblower who inspired the movie The Pentagon Wars. In recent years, under Danielle’s leadership, POGO helped pass landmark reforms protecting government whistleblowers, strengthened the independence of federal watchdogs, and killed a Pentagon slush fund that funneled trillions into wasteful spending.
She has been recognized by both the Washingtonian and the National Journal as one of the most influential people shaping the government today. She has testified in front of Congress more than 40 times and has been inducted into the Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame.
To her colleagues, she is an energizing, devoted, supportive leader, and it is because of her vision that POGO is able to meet, head-on, the challenges our democracy faces today, and to hold this administration accountable.
POGO would not be POGO without Danielle, and it was an honor to celebrate her commitment and continued impact at the organization.
Any accomplishment of ours is because of your support. Thank you for your commitment to defending democracy and championing an accountable and effective government that truly serves the people.
— POGO
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