Trillions in Stimulus Go Unchecked With Watchdogs Kept Toothless
- Three oversight boards have yet to fully launch their work
- Trump’s inspector general firings raise questions on watchdogs
A pedestrian wearing a protective mask walks past a boarded up store in New York.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. has spent more than half of $3 trillion in economic rescue funds passed by Congress -- with little of the oversight intended to ensure the money goes to the right places.
Some of the oversight bodies are barely functional: A special inspector general was only recently sworn in, a congressional panel still lacks a chairman and staff, and President Donald Trump quickly removed the official who was going to lead a separate accountability committee.