Nick Schwellenbach - Profile and Journalist Details

Beats

Biography

An investigative journalist at the Project On Government Oversight with bylines in The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Yahoo News, Mother Jones, TIME Magazine, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and elsewhere. Center for Public Integrity alum. Former spokesperson at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. Nick received his B.A. in history from the University of Texas-Austin and his M.A. in journalism from American University. Nick’s work for POGO on excessive secrecy covering up serious misconduct by Justice Department attorneys won the Society of Professional Journalists-D.C. Chapter’s Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award in 2015, its highest prize. He has led investigations into the revolving door at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), whistleblower retaliation within the Department of Homeland Security, mismanagement of the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 program, and many other topics. Nick's investigative coverage of labor and sex trafficking by U.S. government contractors overseas led to a 2012 executive order aimed at preventing these abuses.

Content

Total articles 125

• Road to Reprisal: U.S. Agency Fired Congo Whistleblower | Accountability Counsel

  By Nick Schwellenbach| Accountability Counsel Blog@ By Nick Schwellenbach, Project on Government OversightLast summer, a little-known U.S. government agency was considering a deal that sources say would have directed more than $100 million in U.S. funding to build and run a toll road and bridge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. The project would help link valuable cobalt mines in the Congo to the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

  By Nick Schwellenbach · Accountability Counsel Blog

  May. 06, 2024

• The Dubious, Racially Charged Flood Project Biden Is Resurrecting in Mississippi

  By Nick Schwellenbach| The New Republic Verified The wreckage stretched for miles from where Chuck’s Dairy Bar once stood in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. About five weeks before my visit in May, a tornado had ripped through, killing 17 people there and in the surrounding area and destroying swaths of this small town. On the restaurant’s plot fluttered an American flag, alongside a sign advertising Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance.

  By Nick Schwellenbach · The New Republic

  Jan. 05, 2024

• DHS’s Secret Reports On Ice Detention

  By Freddy Martinez, Nick Schwellenbach| Popular Resistance@ Above Photo: Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO. Previously confidential reports confirm human rights violations. These include poor medical care, prolonged use of solitary confinement, mistreatment of transgender individuals, shortcomings in sexual assault prevention and response, and inaccessible services in immigrant detention. Note: The following investigation contains mentions and details of suicide and sexual assault.

  By Freddy Martinez, Nick Schwellenbach · Popular Resistance

  Aug. 22, 2023

As seen in

Company Info

Project On Government Oversight

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan, independent watchdog organization dedicated to investigating and addressing corruption, abuse of power, and inefficiencies in the U.S. federal government. Founded over 40 years ago, POGO operates as a nonprofit with a mission to promote accountability, transparency, and ethical governance. POGO conducts thorough investigations into federal programs and policies, often collaborating with whistleblowers to uncover misconduct. The organization advocates for legislative reforms, such as the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act and the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act, to enhance oversight mechanisms. POGO engages the public through campaigns and educational initiatives, mobilizing support for anti-corruption measures. Its outputs include detailed reports, policy recommendations, and public resources aimed at improving government accountability. POGO serves policymakers, the general public, and supporters who contribute to its mission.