Former Barack Obama staffers launch watchdog to monitor Donald Trump

'There's a perfect storm for corruption and scandal brewing in the administration,' says American Oversight

The legal watchdog was created in response to what the group sees as a lack of action by Congress to oversee the administration’s responsibilities (Reuters)

A watchdog to monitor Donald Trump’s presidency has been set up by former members of Barack Obama's administration.

American Oversight will seek to “fill the void” and hold the new Republican government to account by monitoring their successors' work.

Stressing that it is a nonpartisan organisation, it has said it will hold officials to account regardless of party affiliation and force the administration to “obey the law.”

It was founded by Austin Evers, a State Department lawyer in Mr Obama's administration, and Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor who previously worked for former Vice President Joe Biden.

“We are conducting oversight because Congress won’t. We are using tools available to American citizens to investigate instances of fraud, corruption, violation of ethics rules, you name it. If there’s something that Congress should be investigating, we will be,” executive director Mr Evers told Fox News.

The legal watchdog was created in response to what the group sees as a lack of action by Congress to oversee the administration’s responsibilities.

“There's a perfect storm for corruption and scandal brewing in the Trump administration. And Congress has completely abdicated its responsibility to provide oversight—or even vet high-ranking nominees,” the group said on its website.

“We’ve seen more ethics violations and conflicts of interest across the administration since Inauguration Day than in all eight years of the Obama administration. And this misconduct doesn’t end with President Trump — it starts there.”

The group is not the first to pledge to hold Mr Trump accountable.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the Republican leader after he implemented a travel ban blocking citizens for seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.

As a result of the legal action, the ban was halted and eventually overturned by the courts.

Mr has since instated a revised order, which the ACLU has also vowed to fight.