John Wonderlich
Sunlight Foundation
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by John:
An Update on Sunlight's Review Process
Since our October update on the Sunlight Foundation's review process, external stakeholder and board governance review, the firm we retained for this purpose has completed their interviews. The Sunlight Foundation board is currently reviewing their findings and recommendations, and anticipates publi → Read More
Tracking Trump's Conflicts of Interest
Tracking Trump's Conflicts of Interest Sunlight's "Tracking Trump’s Conflicts of Interest" project presents a comprehensive, free, searchable database detailing all of President Donald J.Trump’s known business dealings and personal interests that may conflict with his public duties as president of → Read More
Global headwinds for political transparency online
We shouldn’t be too sanguine though, because the common sense measures that comprise the HONEST Act are an important bulwark for a campaign finance regulatory system that has been eroded and attacked for decades. Here are the global headwinds we’re all facing in the fight for transparent, account → Read More
Technology companies should publish political advertising files online
In the wake of the unprecedented role social media played in the 2016 election and in anticipation of misinformation campaigns to come, the need for Facebook, Google and other operators of social media platforms should be just as transparent about political ads as terrestrial broadcasters. → Read More
Trump administration commits to participating in Open Government Partnership
The big idea behind the Open Government Partnership’s founding in 2011 was that it would provide a platform for the public to hold a national government accountable for meeting commitments that have been created in open consultation between the governed and a government of the people. When countries → Read More
Unprecedented secrecy in the Senate on health care bill is bad for democracy
The road to rebuilding public trust in Congress is paved with transparency and accountability to constituents, not secrecy. Every U.S. Senator should insist upon regular order, not sacrifice openness on the altar of naked legislative power. → Read More
Under pressure, Trump White House discloses ethics waivers
Now that these waivers have been disclosed, the public, the press and the Office of Government Ethics can evaluate their appropriateness and relevance to the public's business being done by White House officials. → Read More
Trump, Threats to Data, and US Cities
Sunlight's John Wonderlich reflects on the Trump administration's relationship with data, the difficulty in reporting on broad trends in data transparency, and the role US cities increasingly play. → Read More
Transparency is Urgently Required for Next Steps on Trump
The road back to public credibility for the Trump presidency must be paved with transparency and accountability, not just good intentions. → Read More
In firing Comey, Trump creates new urgency for independent commission and special counsel
By firing Director Comey, the Trump administration has sent a clear message to Congress: without independent oversight, even fundamental questions of accountability will decay into impunity and political interference under President Trump’s leadership. → Read More
Weaponized disclosure must not erode public trust in government
Recent executive actions by the Trump administration violate federal information policy norms and treat data disclosure as a tool for division and public intimidation, not a means for achieving transparency and accountability. → Read More
The White House should publish text of Presidential actions immediately online
Making government transparent and accountable. → Read More
Trump to enter White House with unprecedented conflicts of interest
Making government transparent and accountable. → Read More
Sunlight will endure
Making government transparent and accountable. → Read More
On weaponized transparency
We all need journalists and publishing platforms to consider carefully how they publish sensitive information, whether it has been leaked or hacked from an institution, scraped from public websites or reported out using shoe leather and traditional journalistic sources and methods. Sunlight, as an open government advocate and a publisher ... → Read More
As FBI concludes Clinton email investigation, larger questions linger
Hillary Clinton's use of personal email while serving as secretary of state raises serious questions about transparency and accountability Today, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey announced the end of the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server. “Although we did ... → Read More
Congress should mandate tax return disclosure for presidential candidates
Richard Nixon publicly released his tax returns in 1973 while they were under audit. (Photo credit: Ollie Atkins, White House photographer/Wikimedia Commons) Presidential candidates and sitting presidents should be required by law to publicly disclose their tax returns. For four decades, candidates and sitting presidents have disclosed their tax returns, ... → Read More
Congress should mandate tax return disclosure for presidential candidates
Presidential candidates and sitting presidents should be required by law to publicly disclose their tax returns. → Read More
The false choice between criticism and collaboration
Tom Steinberg’s recent piece on Civicist raises familiar critiques of the open data movement, suggesting that advocacy is too incremental, political leaders are duplicitous and many basic problems have yet to be addressed. Much of this critique is deeply familiar to the Sunlight Foundation, which has been a leader on ... → Read More