The government is ramping up its PR strategy — to the tune of nearly $4 billion

The federal government has spent nearly $4 billion in the last eight years to increase its roster of public relations staffers and retain the services of high-end PR firms.

Per an audit conducted by Open the Books, there are currently 3,092 PR staff in the federal government, which marks a 15 percent increase over the pre-2007 count. While some of the resulting PR may produce increased transparency in government, the watchdog organization cautioned that many agencies use this bolstered PR budget for less positive purposes.

"Federal agencies...not only resist transparency but often pretend to be transparent when, in reality, they are engaged in self-promotion," the report noted, "Too often, they use their charge to disclose information as a cover for public relations campaigns that are designed to advance their interests (i.e. their desire for more funding and higher salaries) rather than the public interest."

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