Reform Government Secrecy

- The Latest
  Regular reporting on government secrecy, surveillance, and the rights of reporters and whistleblowers.
  - The Classifieds
  - News Releases
- Technology
  Working open source software products to protect journalists, newsrooms, and their sources.
  - SecureDrop
  - Dangerzone
- U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
  A database of press freedom incidents in the United States.
  - Data Visualizations
  - Explore the Database
- Digital Security Education
  Digital security trainings and resources for journalists.
  - Request a Training
  - Guides & Resources
- About Us
  Protecting and defending press freedom when we need it the most.
- Our Team
  - Staff & Contributors
  - Board of Directors
- Transparency
  - Reports & Financials
  - Announcements
- Get in Touch
  - Jobs & Internships
  - Contact Us
Take action
Donate

A pile of classified redacted documents

AI-generated image

The U.S. classifies far too many secrets, obstructing democracy.

Excessive government secrecy takes many forms, from agencies needlessly claiming documents are classified to ignoring information requests and destroying records — even when the documents show government fraud or illegal conduct. This hinders a free press, effective oversight, and the public’s ability to self govern.

We need to fight for systemic improvements, and we need the press to vigorously question the government every time it says something is classified.

Tell Congress to support the Presidential Records Act

First Name * Last Name
Email Address *
Street Address * Zip Code * Enter a five digit US ZIP code

Edit this message so that it is unique to you: Dear [Senator/Representative], As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to ISSUE A STATEMENT explicitly reaffirming that the Presidential Records Act is constitutional and that any claims to the contrary are not lawful and threaten our democracy. This is necessary in response to the Department of Justice’s recent memo claiming the PRA is unconstitutional, arguing that a president’s records are private property. This is wrong and flips 50 years of transparency on its head. The law has required every president since Ronald Reagan to turn their records over to the government at the end of their term. This ensures that the “American story” belongs to the public, not just those who inhabit the White House. This transparency provided vital insights into Democratic and Republican administrations alike, on topics ranging from the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal and the George W. Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina. If this DOJ memo stands, every future president, Democrat or Republican, will operate in total darkness. This is a bipartisan emergency. I am asking you to PLEASE SPEAK OUT and use your influence to safeguard the PRA. Your efforts to ensure our government remains transparent will have major implications for the public’s faith in our democracy. Thank you. URLs are not allowed in this message.

* Required. We will not share your information with third parties. Learn more

Something went wrong processing this request. Please try again later.

Opt in to email updates from Freedom of the Press Foundation

Something went wrong and your email updates subscription could not be processed. Please visit our signup page and try again.

Thank you for urging lawmakers to stand against dangerous secrecy.

Donate

Share this message on social media:
Join me in urging Congress to defend the Presidential Records Act, thus ensuring that the American story belongs to the public — not whoever is in the White House.

Featured Items

Expert panel tracks escalating war on the First Amendment
Secrecy•Article
Watch the event here, featuring speakers from the ACLU, Free Press, FPF, and Knight First Amendment Institute

Published March 30, 2026 Lauren Harper
DHS celebrates Sunshine Week with illegal firing of FOIA officer
FOIA•Newsletter
Plus: Rep. Tlaib introduces the Ellsberg Act

Published March 15, 2026 Lauren Harper
Is the Pentagon watchdog shielding the agency from probes into lawless ops?
Secrecy•Newsletter
Plus: Nominee to be next archivist has no qualifications for the job

Published March 8, 2026 Lauren Harper
Trump is making it easier for the CIA to spy on Americans — yet again
Secrecy•Newsletter
Plus: Judge Cannon helps bury the Jack Smith report on classified documents at Mar-a-Lago

Published March 1, 2026 Lauren Harper
Boat strike death toll climbs, legal justification still hidden
Secrecy•Newsletter
Plus: U.S. embassies put diplomacy up for sale

Published Feb. 22, 2026 Lauren Harper
Sen. Wyden raises the alarm on potential CIA abuses
Secrecy•Newsletter
Plus: The State Department is purging its X accounts. That will only make diplomacy harder

Published Feb. 15, 2026 Lauren Harper
Marco Rubio is out as archivist. His replacement will likely also flop
Secrecy•Newsletter
Plus: The Trump ‘library’ grift continues

Published Feb. 8, 2026 Lauren Harper
Tulsi Gabbard’s hypocritical chokehold on whistleblowers
Secrecy•Article
FPF FOIA shows the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has no credibility

Published Feb. 4, 2026 Lauren Harper
Website for Afghanistan reconstruction oversight agency vanishes
Secrecy•Newsletter
Congress needs to get serious about body cameras. Here’s two ways it can

Published Feb. 1, 2026 Lauren Harper
FOIA shows DOJ rollback of media protections is based on a lie
FOIA•Newsletter
Plus: Administration releases partial legal rationale for Venezuela strike

Published Jan. 18, 2026 Lauren Harper