Judicial Watch serves as an ethical and legal watchdog over our government and judicial systems and promotes a return to ethics and morality in our nation's public life. Judicial Watch has become the nation's "True Independent Counsel."

Fighting Secrecy

Open government is honest government. This is the principle that drives Judicial Watch's fight against government secrecy. Using open records laws, such as the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the states' Sunshine Laws, Judicial Watch forces the release of government documents into the public domain. When elected and appointed public officials or government agencies stonewall investigations or try to hide behind special privilege, Judicial Watch takes strong legal action to force them to comply with open records laws.

• Open Records Litigation — It is often necessary to force government agencies into compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests via litigation.
• Documents Uncovered — An archive of the documents we have received from government agencies as a result of our FOIA and state information requests.
• Investigations & Research Blog - Our investigations team regularly blog about some of the projects they are working on.
• Judicial Financial Disclosures — All federal court justices (district, appellate, and Supreme) must file yearly financial disclosure forms. We have an archive of the documents available to the public.
• Open Records Project — Relevant laws, what we can do for you, and other reference materials.

Battling Corruption & Promoting Integrity

Public trust is predicated on the belief that our government officials act responsibly and ethically. Without that trust, the public would lose faith in our democratic process. What separates Judicial Watch from other organizations is its willingness to take action in order to hold corrupt politicians accountable for their criminal and unethical behavior. Since 1994, Judicial Watch has filed nearly 200 lawsuits, and launched countless investigations, against politicians who violate the law.

• Corruption Litigation
• Ethics Complaints — Campaign finance fraud, influence peddling and other investigations of corrupt behavior by politicians.
• Whistleblower Protection Litigation — Judicial Watch has a history of stepping in to defend victims of members of the government's abuse of power.
• National Security & Terrorism
• Congressional Ethics Coalition

Special Projects

Judicial Watch has a broad mission to combat government corruption but often leverages its resources on specific areas to achieve success. Whether it be a focus on specific corrupt politicians or advocating for strong immigration enforcement, Judicial Watch takes a strategic approach to its various special projects. We bring all of our organizational tools to bear on our special projects — including litigation, investigation, and expertise in public education.

Here's a list of some of Judicial Watch's special projects:

• Illegal Immigration - Get more information about Judicial Watch's investigations and legal cases that are working towards remedying the illegal immigration problem.
• The Financial Crisis - Get more information about Judicial Watch's efforts to uncover details about the government's bank bailouts and stimulus plan.
• ACORN - Get more information about Judicial Watch's investigation of the controversial activities of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
• Gardasil - Get more information about Judicial Watch's efforts to expose the adverse effects of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine.