diff --git a/garak/buffs/low_resource_languages.py b/garak/buffs/low_resource_languages.py
index ba7a9e1b..6be89d18 100644
--- a/garak/buffs/low_resource_languages.py
+++ b/garak/buffs/low_resource_languages.py
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
 
 """ Buff that converts prompts with different encodings. """
 
-import logging
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from deepl import Translator
-from os import getenv
 
 import garak.attempt
 from garak import _config
diff --git a/garak/cli.py b/garak/cli.py
index c6ae38af..5321e711 100644
--- a/garak/cli.py
+++ b/garak/cli.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 command_options = "list_detectors list_probes list_generators list_buffs list_config plugin_info interactive report version".split()
 
 
-def main(arguments=[]) -> None:
+def main(arguments=None) -> None:
     """Main entry point for garak runs invoked from the CLI"""
     import datetime
 
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ def main(arguments=[]) -> None:
     _config.transient.starttime_iso = _config.transient.starttime.isoformat()
     _config.version = __version__
 
+    if arguments is None:
+        arguments = []
+
     import garak.command as command
     import logging
     import re
diff --git a/garak/detectors/perspective.py b/garak/detectors/perspective.py
index f2c305de..a5d6ac3d 100644
--- a/garak/detectors/perspective.py
+++ b/garak/detectors/perspective.py
@@ -8,14 +8,12 @@
 """
 
 import logging
-import os
 import sys
 
 import backoff
 
 from garak import _config
 from garak.detectors import Detector
-from garak.exception import APIKeyMissingError
 
 perspective_classes = [
     {
diff --git a/garak/detectors/visual_jailbreak.py b/garak/detectors/visual_jailbreak.py
index b084ff2f..07c1ba46 100644
--- a/garak/detectors/visual_jailbreak.py
+++ b/garak/detectors/visual_jailbreak.py
@@ -2,11 +2,8 @@
 
 Detectors for guessing whether a jailbreak with both image and text prompt has been successful """
 
-import garak.attempt
 from garak import _config
 from garak.detectors.base import StringDetector
-from typing import List
-import re
 
 
 class FigStep(StringDetector):
diff --git a/garak/evaluators/base.py b/garak/evaluators/base.py
index 1492d6a9..879b2a19 100644
--- a/garak/evaluators/base.py
+++ b/garak/evaluators/base.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 import json
 import logging
-import os
 from typing import List
 
 from colorama import Fore, Style
diff --git a/garak/generators/cohere.py b/garak/generators/cohere.py
index b7d2af9f..d42a1aa7 100644
--- a/garak/generators/cohere.py
+++ b/garak/generators/cohere.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 """
 
 import logging
-import os
 from typing import List, Union
 
 import backoff
@@ -15,7 +14,6 @@
 import tqdm
 
 from garak import _config
-from garak.exception import APIKeyMissingError
 from garak.generators.base import Generator
 
 
diff --git a/garak/generators/huggingface.py b/garak/generators/huggingface.py
index 4f92f072..a70157be 100644
--- a/garak/generators/huggingface.py
+++ b/garak/generators/huggingface.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 import logging
 import re
-import os
 from typing import List, Union
 import warnings
 
diff --git a/garak/generators/nvcf.py b/garak/generators/nvcf.py
index 7e7ad543..3dc2c59a 100644
--- a/garak/generators/nvcf.py
+++ b/garak/generators/nvcf.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 import json
 import logging
-import os
 import time
 from typing import List, Union
 
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@
 import requests
 
 from garak import _config
-from garak.exception import APIKeyMissingError, ModelNameMissingError
+from garak.exception import ModelNameMissingError
 from garak.generators.base import Generator
 
 
diff --git a/garak/generators/octo.py b/garak/generators/octo.py
index 749a9879..f6482be8 100644
--- a/garak/generators/octo.py
+++ b/garak/generators/octo.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 """OctoML LLM interface"""
 
 
-import os
 from typing import List, Union
 
 import backoff
diff --git a/garak/generators/openai.py b/garak/generators/openai.py
index 2fca2259..939ccaf2 100644
--- a/garak/generators/openai.py
+++ b/garak/generators/openai.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 * https://platform.openai.com/docs/model-index-for-researchers
 """
 
-import os
 import re
 import logging
 from typing import List, Union
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@
 import backoff
 
 from garak import _config
-from garak.exception import APIKeyMissingError
 from garak.generators.base import Generator
 
 # lists derived from https://platform.openai.com/docs/models
diff --git a/garak/generators/rest.py b/garak/generators/rest.py
index 1ef6baf8..645c8994 100644
--- a/garak/generators/rest.py
+++ b/garak/generators/rest.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 import json
 import logging
-import os
 from typing import List, Union
 import requests
 
diff --git a/garak/harnesses/probewise.py b/garak/harnesses/probewise.py
index 1f1462ca..56d73bbf 100644
--- a/garak/harnesses/probewise.py
+++ b/garak/harnesses/probewise.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def _load_detector(self, detector_name: str) -> Detector:
             logging.error(f" detector load failed: {detector_name}, skipping >>")
         return False
 
-    def run(self, model, probenames, evaluator, buff_names=[]):
+    def run(self, model, probenames, evaluator, buff_names=None):
         """Execute a probe-by-probe scan
 
         Probes are executed in name order. For each probe, the detectors
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ def run(self, model, probenames, evaluator, buff_names=[]):
         :type buff_names: List[str]
         """
 
+        if buff_names is None:
+            buff_names = []
+
         if not probenames:
             msg = "No probes, nothing to do"
             logging.warning(msg)
diff --git a/garak/harnesses/pxd.py b/garak/harnesses/pxd.py
index 878ae6ac..9202505f 100644
--- a/garak/harnesses/pxd.py
+++ b/garak/harnesses/pxd.py
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
 
 
 class PxD(Harness):
-    def run(self, model, probe_names, detector_names, evaluator, buff_names=[]):
+    def run(self, model, probe_names, detector_names, evaluator, buff_names=None):
+        if buff_names is None:
+            buff_names = []
         probe_names = sorted(probe_names)
         detector_names = sorted(detector_names)
         print(
diff --git a/garak/interactive.py b/garak/interactive.py
index bdd70fe1..309c3d56 100644
--- a/garak/interactive.py
+++ b/garak/interactive.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 import argparse
-import importlib
 from logging import getLogger
 import random
 import sys
diff --git a/garak/probes/dan.py b/garak/probes/dan.py
index 1fd7025a..da85f9f2 100644
--- a/garak/probes/dan.py
+++ b/garak/probes/dan.py
@@ -658,6 +658,7 @@ class DanInTheWildMini(DanInTheWild):
     Tries a set of 100 known jailbreaks, in an attempt to get a model to disregard
     alignment/system prompt. Success is measured by not getting a safety mitigaton
     message."""
+
     active = True
 
     def __init__(self, config_root=_config):
diff --git a/garak/probes/goodside.py b/garak/probes/goodside.py
index 0eab9833..8cb4852a 100644
--- a/garak/probes/goodside.py
+++ b/garak/probes/goodside.py
@@ -119,10 +119,10 @@ class Tag(Probe):
     primary_detector = "base.TriggerListDetector"
     tags = [
         "owasp:llm01",
-        "payload:generic"
+        "payload:generic",
         "quality:Security:Adversarial",
         "quality:Security:PromptStability",
-        ]
+    ]
     goal = "inject invisible instructions"
 
     prompts = []
diff --git a/garak/probes/leakreplay.py b/garak/probes/leakreplay.py
index efec519c..04eff705 100644
--- a/garak/probes/leakreplay.py
+++ b/garak/probes/leakreplay.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 import csv
 import re
-from typing import List
 
 from garak.attempt import Attempt
 from garak import _config
diff --git a/garak/probes/malwaregen.py b/garak/probes/malwaregen.py
index 56d1cff3..0650c7eb 100644
--- a/garak/probes/malwaregen.py
+++ b/garak/probes/malwaregen.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class Payload(Probe):
     tags = [
         "avid-effect:security:S0403",
         "quality:Behavioral:ContentSafety:LegalGoodsServices",
-        ]
+    ]
     goal = "write a malware payload"
 
     def __init__(self, config_root=_config):
diff --git a/garak/report.py b/garak/report.py
index 79efd0e3..c74d8c65 100644
--- a/garak/report.py
+++ b/garak/report.py
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ class Report:
     """
 
     def __init__(
-        self, report_location, records=[], metadata=None, evaluations=None, scores=None
+        self,
+        report_location,
+        records=None,
+        metadata=None,
+        evaluations=None,
+        scores=None,
     ):
         self.report_location = report_location
         self.records = records
@@ -37,6 +42,9 @@ def __init__(
         self.evaluations = evaluations
         self.scores = scores
 
+        if self.records is None:
+            self.records = []
+
     def load(self):
         """
         Loads a garak report.