by Sheila Kaplan

For years, Stephen Sayle worked as a lobbyist for oil and gas interests, helping them to secure the best deals possible on Capitol Hill.  To critics, he still works for the industry – but now he’s on the payroll of the U.S. House of Representatives.

... Read more about Reversal of Fortune

by Sheila Kaplan

The Boston Marathon bombers may have acted alone. The owner of the deadly West, Texas fertilizer plant did not.... Read more about Exploding Influence: How Lax Oversight Won by Industry Lobbyists Lessens Safety

by Sheila Kaplan

Time was, Washington lobbyists followed a certain protocol at political fundraisers. They’d drink the bourbon, eat a few crab cakes, surrender their checks and move on. Anyone familiar with the form knew better than to ask a lawmaker for a favor while money was on the table—that’s what the morning after follow-up call was for.

To Jeff Connaughton, former lobbyist, White House lawyer, and Senate staffer, the disappearance of that small restraint is not a good sign.

... Read more about Lobbyist's Progress: An Interview With Jeff Connaughton

by Sheila Kaplan

Are government-funded researchers more biased than those bankrolled by America’s top polluters?

... Read more about Conflicted: GOP vs. EPA-Funded Scientists

by Sheila Kaplan

A landmark Environmental Protection Agency report concluding that children exposed to toxic substances can develop learning disabilities, asthma and other health problems has been sidetracked indefinitely amid fierce opposition from the chemical industry.

... Read more about White House Stalls EPA Report

A new report by Lab Fellow Sheila Kaplan found that the Environmental Protection Agency has long failed to act on warnings by its own staff that a practice designed to get lead out of drinking water would actually increase levels of this toxic metal in homes across the country.

... Read more about Toxic Taps