CEO and founder of the influential government oversight group Open the Books, Adam Andrzejewski, died unexpectedly at the age of 55.
Andrzejewski’s cause of death has not been disclosed.
The ‘Open the Books’ funder was a former candidate for Governor of Illinois and campaigned ferociously for the vision of putting “Every Dime [of government spending] Online and “In Real Time” for government accountability.
Tributes poured in for Andrzejewski, with Stanford professor Jay Bhattacharya stating:
“Sad news. Adam Andrzejewski, founder of Open the Books, has died. Adam was a brilliant young man. While [at] Forbes, he reported on Fauci’s salary & role as head of civilian biodefense. Open the Books brings vital transparency to federal spending.”
Andrzejewski co-founded HomePages Directories, a publishing company worth $20 million.
He has also been the senior policy contributor at Forbes since 2014
Andrzejewski’s federal oversight work was included in the President’s Budget To Congress FY2021.
Andrzejewski also completed seven Chicago Marathons since 1995.
The Open the Books board issued a statement on Monday, stating:
“It is with tremendous sorrow we announce the passing of Adam Andrzejewski. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Kerry, and his daughters. “
“Adam was devoted to bringing transparency to government. He walked away from business 15 years ago with a singular idea: hold government accountable to the taxpayers it serves. “
“He founded OpenTheBooks to accomplish that task. He was a happy warrior. Under his leadership, Open the Books has become a highly respected, well-known brand. His death is a loss not only to his family and his organization but the nation. “Adam’s belief in the power of transparency to transform government and hold it accountable at every level is the driving force behind our work.”
“His relentless pursuit of open records and forensic auditing has set new standards in the fight for government transparency. “Adam’s dream was to spark a transparency revolution. “
“The result of his leadership is a well-oiled machine that operates at enormous scale and efficiency, dedicated to posting ‘every dime online, in as close to real-time as possible.”
“The organization now generates tens of thousands of media mentions, and our work is cited in dozens of Congressional hearings, oversight letters, and bill introductions each year.”
“Guided by the dedicated team he built, Adam’s vision will guide us forward and inform our work in the years to come.”
“We are more dedicated than ever to helping taxpayers hold government officials to account for their spending in a way that honors both Adam and our honorary chairman, the late Senator Tom Coburn.”
