Biden’s legacy: Leaving FOIA in shambles
AP Illustration
The Freedom of Information Act gives the public a right to access government records.
The Freedom of Information Act is supposed to shed light on government activity by giving journalists and the public access to government records. But the law is in shambles. From endless delays in response time and unjustified refusals to ridiculously overbroad redactions, FOIA is plagued with problems.
We must fight back against the government’s refusal to comply with FOIA and urge Congress to reform the law and end backlogs of requests, reduce the number of exemptions, and overturn damaging court decisions.
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Politicizing declassification has dire consequences
It will corrupt historical accounts of this administration — and is a recipe for disaster.
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Recent leaks reinforce why journalist-source confidentiality needs protecting
Virtually every time the government has cracked down on leaks claiming some kind of threat to the homeland, the real threat has been to its own reputation.
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Did Gabbard respond to FPF FOIA release by firing officials, scrubbing website?
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State Department must declassify Rümeysa Öztürk deportation rationale
And if the administration doesn’t want to disclose embarrassing information about its actions, it should stop making up reasons to deport people
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Why Trump’s decision to crack down on journalists prompted FPF FOIA win
Plus more of this week’s most important secrecy news.
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FOIA win by FPF undermines new DOJ policy on journalists and sources
The FOIA release also undercuts rationale for invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport a group of Venezuelans to El Salvador.
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Government says 94% of FOIA requests released, in surprise to requesters
Plus: White House move threatens world’s largest transparency project
