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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.

Tell Congress to support the Presidential Records Act

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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.

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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

Sunshine Week brings focus to public record lawsuits
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U.S. Press Freedom Tracker highlights costs of government secrecy to taxpayers

Published March 12, 2024 Freedom of the Press Foundation
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Legal brief challenges secrecy around injuries and deaths in San Diego County jails

Published March 5, 2024 Seth Stern
Give journalists the floor
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Published Jan. 26, 2024 Caitlin Vogus
Government gag rules muzzle journalists’ sources
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Policies prohibiting government employees from speaking to the press violate the First Amendment

Published Jan. 16, 2024 Caitlin Vogus
Police secrets have no place in the Sunshine State
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Officers who kill can’t keep their names hidden, the state's high court held, but law enforcement isn't done battling against accountability

Published Dec. 5, 2023 Freedom of the Press Foundation
Ducking transparency: Open record reforms will undermine reporting
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New Jersey lawmakers shouldn’t use a lame-duck session to gut the state’s public records law

Published Nov. 21, 2023 Caitlin Vogus
Courtroom door cracks open in Google antitrust trial
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Thanks to pressure from the press, public access to the proceedings is finally improving

Published Nov. 1, 2023 Caitlin Vogus
Secrecy undermines trust in Google antitrust trial
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The press and public shouldn’t be shut out from the Google antitrust case

Published Sept. 27, 2023 Caitlin Vogus
Judge gets it wrong in censoring the Post-Dispatch
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An unconstitutional order once again extends a prior restraint on newspaper

Published Sept. 22, 2023 Freedom of the Press Foundation
Freeze out: Politicians retaliate against the press using public notices
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Anti-press lawmakers are attacking the press by yanking contracts to publish public notices or ending requirements to publish notices in newspapers entirely

Published Sept. 13, 2023 Caitlin Vogus