Author: John Greenewald

Background Office of Government Ethics The U.S. Office of Government Ethics, established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, provides overall leadership and oversight of the executive branch ethics program designed to prevent and resolve conflicts of interest. OGE’s mission is part of the very foundation of public service. The first principle in the Fourteen Principles of Public Service is, “public service is a public trust, requiring employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws and ethical principles above private gain.” Public servants are expected to make impartial decisions based on the interests of the public when performing…

Read More

Background Subliminal advertising is when certain words or images flash onto a screen faster than the conscious mind can read or decode them or, in printed advertisements, conceals such images and text by distorting them, surrounding them by meaningless squiggles and shapes, or placing them in unexpected locations. In January of 2017, I requests all consumer complaints about subliminal advertising, which are included below: Document Archive  Subliminal Advertising Complaints from 1/1/2015 – 1/18/2017 [12 Pages, 1.9MB] – FCC FOIA CASE 2017-286.

Read More

Background According to the GSA: “The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) leverages the buying power of the federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and our federal customers. We exercise responsible asset management. We deliver superior workplaces, quality acquisition services, and expert business solutions. We develop innovative and effective management policies. Our Vision: GSA means excellence in the business of government.” The GSA has an internal employees only website called INSITE. It took a FOIA request, and then a subsequent appeal, to get the front page released.  Originally, just to see the site, was considered exempt under the FOIA,…

Read More

Background The following is an excerpt from the TIGTA Operations Manual explaining the Writing & Style guide, as used by the agency. TIGTA’s Writing and Style Guide 110.1   Purpose.  The TIGTA Writing and Style Guide (“the Guide”) provides in-depth guidance with respect to TIGTA’s specific writing conventions and preferences.  The Guide is used by all TIGTA functions as a resource when drafting any type of document for internal or external use. 110.2   Applicability. The Guide is applicable to all TIGTA functions, nationwide. 110.3   Background. The Guide was created over the course of one year through a collaborative process with representatives from…

Read More

Background In November of 2015, USPS/OIG posted the following Opportunity on FBO: Solicitation Number: 6HQOIG-16-A-0002 Notice Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Synopsis: Added: Nov 17, 2015 8:32 am This Solicitation/Award Package issued by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) is for contract Internet Reconnaissance Training. The attached RFP Package describes the following: 1) the work to be performed; 2) the terms and conditions that will apply to any contract that is awarded; 3) the instructions for preparing and submitting proposals; 4) the evaluation criteria used for contract award determination. Due Dates: • Questions regarding this solicitation must be received no…

Read More