Right-wing ‘government accountability’ group ignores lobbyist's 'unauthorized spending'

The Foundation for Government Accountability says its mission is, in part, promoting “public policies based on the principles of transparency.”

But the conservative group with a $13 million budget — which advocates to curtail voting, promote child labor and cut holes in the social safety net, among other priorities — proved defiantly unaccountable when asked repeatedly by Raw Story about the “unauthorized expenses” of one of its directors.

Raw Story reported last week that Margaret A. (Maggie) Harrell, the Foundation for Government Accountability’s federal affairs director, who used to be deputy chief of staff for Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), reimbursed Roy’s campaign committee for nearly $40,000 in February for “unauthorized expenses.”

When Raw Story reached Harrell by phone, she said she was at work and unavailable to discuss the issue.