In an executive memorandum, President Trump has instructed executive agencies to make public the details of every terminated program, contract, grant, or other obligation that used federal funds.
On February 18, 2025, the White House released an executive memorandum that directs the heads of executive departments and agencies to make public the “complete details of every terminated program, cancelled contract, terminated grant, or any other discontinued obligation of Federal funds.” Agencies are instructed to make such publications to the maximum extent permitted by law and as appropriate to promote the policies of the Trump administration.
The memorandum, titled “Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending,” adds another dimension to the administration’s stated goal of reducing what it considers to be wasteful government spending. Previous executive orders have paused foreign development assistance programs and directed the cancelation of “equity-related” grants or contracts, among other steps. Here, the administration seeks to publicly disclose prior spending that it considers to “undermine the national interest.” However, it is not clear what amount of information would constitute “complete details.”
The memorandum declares that public disclosure is subject to applicable laws and the “terms and conditions of the underlying contract, grant, or other award.” Basic information about most government contract and grant expenditures is already publicly available at USAspending.gov, pursuant to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. How much additional information can or will be made available will depend on other applicable laws, including the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1905, and any particular terms in the relevant government contracts and grants that may limit public disclosure of further information about the other aspects of such grants or contracts.
Contractors and other federal funding recipients should be aware that the government, including the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is performing reviews for programs, contracts, and grants that do not promote the “national interest.” Contractors or federal funding recipients whose contracts or grants are terminated should be mindful of the potential public disclosure regarding terminated programs, contracts, grants, or other federal funds. They should also be alert to the possibility of increased public scrutiny, including media attention; needing to defend how they used federal funds to promote the “national interest”; and potential investigations, audits, or reviews into allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse of federal funds.
