Reform Government Secrecy

A pile of classified redacted documents

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.

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    Cass Sunstein and the Status Quo

    FOIA Article

    This post is adapted from CJ Ciaramella's weekly Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. Cass Sunstein: Three cheers for the status quo Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein has an op-ed in Bloomberg View arguing against the FOIA reform bill introduced recently by …

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    Happy July 4th/FOIA anniversary!

    FOIA Article

    This post is adapted from CJ Ciaramella's weekly Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. FOIA anniversary Forty-eight years ago today, in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act into law with this statement: "This legislation springs from …

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    POGO Launches SecureDrop Amidst Subpoena Controversy Over VA Whistleblower Records

    Whistleblowers Article

    Today, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), the respected DC-based government watchdog organization, launched its own version of SecureDrop, our open-source whistleblower submission system. This installation takes on a special and urgent significance, as POGO has recently been subpoenaed for information on whistleblowers that have contacted them about the …