Samantha Feinstein

🌐 What is the Financial Action Task Force (#FATF)?

🔎 This toolkit introduces non-profit organizations to FATF, which sets international standards on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) 👉 www.icnl.org/post/tools/f...

Save The Wheel of Time – #SaveWOT Campaign Join fans from around the world working to find a new home for The Wheel of Time. Help us show Sony and streamers the story deserves to continue. #SaveWOT

It’s the last day in #PrideMonth but we still need to save queer stories. If you haven’t already, please sign and share the petition at SaveWOT.com or take other action recommended on the site. #pride

ProPublica just obtained a remarkable directive to those remaining at USAID: Empty the safes with the classified and personnel records and then ... "Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break." The email came from from the agency's acting executive secretary. I asked Kel McClanahan, a national security attorney, if this was legal. He said: "No it is not," citing the Federal Records Act. "Classified records are still federal records."

@propublica.org reporter Brett Murphy with an explosive scoop. This is insanity.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Trump’s Pardons and Purges Revive Old Question: Who Counts as a Terrorist? The president’s sweeping clemency for Capitol rioters and his administration’s ongoing removal of career national security specialists foretell a permissive new climate for extremist movements, say cu...

“Does this become a four-year period where these groups can really use the time to strengthen their organization, their command and control, stockpile weapons?” www.propublica.org/article/jan-...

organization issues a subaward. While USAID OIG has previously identified gaps in the scope of partner vetting, 1º USAID staff have reported that the counter-terrorism vetting unit supporting humanitarian assistance programming has in recent days been told not to report to work (because staff have been furloughed or placed on administrative leave) and thus cannot conduct any partner vetting. This gap leaves USAID susceptible to inadvertently funding entities or salaries of individuals associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. Third-Party Monitors Third-party monitoring" (TPM) is a mechanism USAID utilizes for oversight of humanitarian assistance programs, particularly in dangerous locations where its staff cannot safely travel. Site visits conducted by USAID-contracted TPMs help USAID verify if the delivery of physical goods align with self-reporting by aid organizations. TPM field monitors conduct simple, standardized surveys and interviews with recipients to check if USAID programming was delivered as intended. The January 24 pause on foreign assistance programming suspended all TPM contracts and activities, including in high-risk environments such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Haiti, Gaza, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Syria, and Venezuela, impacting another layer of oversight over U.S. taxpayer-provided aid. Staff Reductions Have Constrained USAID's Ability to Receive and Respond to Allegations of Misconduct Involving Humanitarian Assistance Programming The Secretary of State granted waivers for emergency food assistance and lifesaving humanitarian assistance. However, uncertainties about the scope of the waivers, the degree of permissible communication between USAID staff and aid organizations, the sudden dismissal of contract staff, and the placement of staff on paid administrative leave has limited BHA's ability to receive and respond to allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or diversion of humanitarian aid. As noted in our july 2024 advisory, USA…

with aid organizations stemming from the cessation of U.S. foreign assistance have limited USAID's ability to receive, react to, and report allegations of diversion, all of which impacts the Agency's mandatory reporting obligations to Congress." Additionally, according to BHA staff, the placement of most of its staff on administrative leave is preventing the bureau from responding to USAID OlG audit requests, reports of investigative findings, and other routine OIG oversight inquiries. Conclusion USAID OIG's independent oversight of USAID's humanitarian assistance programs over the years has identified significant challenges and offered recommendations to improve Agency programming to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. Our longstanding concerns about existing USAID oversight mechanisms persist. However, recent widespread staffing reductions across the Agency, particularly within BHA, coupled with uncertainty about the scope of foreign assistance waivers and permissible communications with implementers, has degraded USAID's ability to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance. For more information on USAID OIG's work or to report allegations of fraud, waste, corruption, and abuse, please visit our website at oig.usaid.gov. On the cover: USAID pallets with emergency food bars for Syrian refugees. Courtesy World Food Programme, 2013. 12Section 7015(i). P.L. 118-47, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024: "The Secretary of State and USAID Administrator, as applicable, shall promptly inform the appropriate congressional committees of each instance in which funds appropriated by this Act for assistance have been diverted or destroyed, to include the type and amount of assistance, a description of the incident and parties involved, and an explanation of the response

USAID’s inspector general—presumably operating from a remote base in the mountains—has just released a report on the staggering effect of the Trump Administration’s assault on the agency. oig.usaid.gov/sites/defaul...

1/My statement on learning through news reports that my #securityclearance has just been revoked.

Arizona Couple Pleads Guilty to One of the Largest Healthcare Frauds in U.S. History: $1.2 Billion Lost to Graft in Wound Grafts - Whistleblower Partners LLP An Arizona couple pleads guilty to a $1.2 billion healthcare fraud case. Explore the schemes, taxpayer impact, and whistleblower implications.

An Arizona couple recently pleaded guilty to a major #healthcare fraud scheme. The government claims that in the span of 18 months, they engaged in kickbacks, upcoding, and misrepresenting medical necessity, costing taxpayers and private insurers up to $1.2 billion. Read more:

Whatever the EEOC website says, the Supreme Court's Bostock ruling is still on the books

Assad regime torture whistleblower Caesar named as Farid Madhhan The Syrian whistleblower known as Caesar responsible for documenting the horrors of torture and mass death under the Assad regime has revealed his identity.

54,000 photos smuggled by him and allies of corpses of Assad’s victims. https://www.newarab.com/news/assad-regime-torture-whistleblower-caesar-named-farid-madhhan

Government lawyers with ethics concerns look for help amid Trump crackdown Some lawyers hope that bar associations, which have themselves been targeted by Trump, will come to their aid.

Career government lawyers are facing a squeeze, with orders to carry out Trump orders or face consequences, whatever concerns they might have. Some want outside legal groups to speak out.

w/ @allansmith.bsky.social

www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...

Thank you @raskin.house.gov for gathering me from @govacctproj.bsky.social; @nteunion.bsky.social, @democracyforward.bsky.social & @AFGE to educate federal workers about their rights & options. This was more than a webinar. 👇

How to Prevent a Bird Flu Pandemic Leading virologist Angela Rasmussen breaks down everything you should know about the latest bird flu outbreak, including how worried Americans should be.

The H5N1 risk continues to increase. New spillovers, more infections. The agencies running response are being dismantled & it seems like maybe some info about bird flu is in order.

@mehdirhasan.bsky.social asked me to write an explainer piece for @zeteo.com, so I did.
zeteo.com/p/how-to-pre...

NEW: According to a source, the DoJ has sent out 14 memos in the last half hour including:

Reviving the death penalty
Sanctuary jurisdiction directives
Rescinding environmental justice directives

And restoring the integrity and credibility of the DoJ:

Report Waste, Fraud, or Abuse Whistleblowers play a vital role in helping Congress conduct its constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities.  For this reason, Ranking Member Connolly is interested in information regarding ...

Federal workers, contractors & others who may have relevant information on waste, fraud or abuse involving taxpayer dollars can use this whistleblower tip line created by the House Committee on Oversight: oversightdemocrats.house.gov/contact/tip-...

Resources for Marylanders Affected by Troubling New Trump Administration Policies

Marylanders: In light of recent federal actions, Congressman Jamie Raskin has compiled resources to support those affected. Access information on employment rights, whistleblower protections, and more here: raskin.house.gov/resources-fo...

The VA has inactivated coursework in "Whistleblower Rights and Protections Policy Statement," per memo leaked to me

Here is the guidance in full. The wording is very broad. This should help a lot of organizations and people.