Jason Foster

Founder of Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to enhancing independent oversight of government and corporate wrongdoing by helping insiders safely report waste, fraud and abuse. As counsel to four committees on Capitol Hill for more than two decades, I was blessed to work with amazing people on both sides of the aisle. Contrary to what you may have read, most congressional staff work together professionally on a broad array of controversial issues. We did our best to sort fact from fiction for our bosses in a highly politicized environment. I had the honor of learning from Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) for 14 years, until leaving for the private sector in 2018. Below is a collection of articles I’ve written and other links about my work. I’m also on Twitter @JsnFostr and Substack at jasonfoster.substack.com.

Articles, Press Releases & Media Coverage

• Congressional Oversight Is Broken. Here’s How To Fix It, Jason Foster, The Federalist (Aug 15, 2020).
• The Curious Case of Michael Flynn, Jason Foster, Newsweek (May 11, 2020).
• Audio: Necessary & Proper, Ep. 53, “Congressional Oversight with Jason Foster,” Article I Initiative, The Federalist Society (Mar 11, 2020). Shorter excerpts available on Good Government Now’s YouTube channel.
• The Fight to Uncover the Partisan Origins of the Steele Dossier, Jason Foster, The Washington Examiner (Dec 27, 2019). Full text enhanced with links to supporting evidence and references (Jan 6, 2020).
• The Inspector General Shortage, Jason Foster, The Wall Street Journal (May 6, 2019). Full text with links and updates (Jun 18, 2019).
• Key Intel Whistleblower Official Fired as Spy Agencies Face Oversight Crisis, Project on Government Oversight (Mar 21, 2018).
• OLC Nominee: Every Member of Congress Can Do Oversight, Federation of American Scientists (Jul 20, 2017).
• Grassley Calls on President to Rescind OLC Opinion Shielding Bureaucrats from Scrutiny, Grassley Press Release (Jun 9, 2017).
• FBI Whistleblowers to Receive Protections for Rooting out Waste, Fraud and Abuse, Grassley Press Release (Dec 10, 2016).
• Senate Passes Grassley Bill Restoring Watchdogs’ Authority to Access “All Records,” Grassley Press Release (Dec 10, 2016).
• Secretive Retaliation Method Allegedly Being Used at the FBI, Grassley Press Release (Jul 18, 2014).
• Just the Facts on Fast and Furious, Jason Foster, The Hill (Nov 4, 2011).
• Audio: What Really Happened with Fast and Furious, On Point, WBUR (Jul 2, 2012)(my appearance begins around the 29 minute mark).

Congressional Reports & Hearings

• Examining the Inspector General’s First Report on Justice Department and FBI Actions in Advance of the 2016 Presidential Election, Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee (Jun 18, 2018).
• Oversight of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections: Lessons Learned from Current and Prior Administrations (Day 1 & Day 2), Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee (Jul 26, 2017).
• The Need for More Timeliness and Transparency: Oversight of the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program, Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee (Apr 26, 2016).
• The Price of Sovaldi and its impact on the U.S. Health Care System, S. Prt. 114-20 (Dec 2015).
• ‘All’ Means ‘All’: The Justice Department’s Failure to Comply With Its Legal Obligation to Ensure Inspector General Access to All Records Needed For Independent Oversight, Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee (Aug 5, 2015).
• Fast and Furious: Anatomy of a Failed Operation, 112th Cong. (Jul 31, 2012).
• The Firing of an SEC Attorney and the Investigation of Pequot Capital Management, S. Prt 110-28 (Aug 2007).
• Self-Dealing and Breach of Duty at ULLICO, Inc., S. Prt 108-45 (Jun 2004).
• Justice Undone: Clemency Decisions in the Clinton White House, H. Rept. 107-454 (May 14, 2002).