Saturday, August 15, 2009
In the spirit of its policy of transparency, the Obama administration gave an $18 million contract to a software company, Smartronix, to build a website so Americans can track for themselves how the billion-dollar stimulus is being spent. But what exactly the federal government is getting for its $18 million is unclear—because large portions of the Smartronix contract are being kept a secret.
The investigative reporting website ProPublica obtained a copy of the lengthy contract through a Freedom of Information Act request, only to find large portions blacked out. These included the project’s management structure, a section referring to the “Strategic Advisory Council,” quality assurance procedures, site navigation, everything related to the contract’s pricing table, and the warranty agreement.
When ProPublica contacted the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which was created to oversee the distribution of stimulus funds, spokesman Ed Pound dismissed reservations about the lack of transparency. “I’m not concerned about whether journalists are concerned about this,” Pound said. “We have been very transparent.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Obama Administration Redacts Contract Details for Recovery.gov (by Christopher Flavelle, ProPublica)
Recovery.gov Contract Documents (ProPublica)
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