Freedom of Information

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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more news

Obama Administration Views Torture Transparency Inconsistently

May 21, 2009 by Roger Strother*

On May 21, President Obama gave a speech defending his administration’s controversial positions on national security and transparency. Despite his campaign promise to bring change and accountability along with greater transparency, some open government advocates have been worried that his actions have not lived up to the hype.

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BREAKING: Lieberman Looks to Make Detainee Photos Indefinitely Secret

May 21, 2009 by Roger Strother*

Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) has submitted an amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 which would withhold any “photograph relating to the treatment of individuals engaged, captured, or detained after September 11, 2001, by the Armed Forces of the United States” if the Secretary of Defense certifies that the release of the photos could endanger citizens or the armed forces. This incredibly broad statement could cover photos of all detainees captured in any future actions taken by the U.S. military. If passed, these government records which belong to the people would no longer be available under FOIA.

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Court Pulls Curtain Over White House E-mails

May 19, 2009 by Chris George*

The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled today that the White House Office of Administration (OA) does not need to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

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Congress Seeks Hidden Truth on Torture

On May 13, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) held a hearing on the treatment of terrorist suspects in the custody of U.S. government personnel. The hearing was the first to formally discuss torture after the release of four key Bush administration memoranda that established broader interrogation policies. The hearing prompted the Justice Department to release two additional documents concerning internal Bush administration deliberations over policy.

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Obama Administration Flip-Flops on Torture Photos

May 13, 2009 by Roger Strother*

President Obama has reversed his position on releasing photos of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan being abused while in US custody – now arguing that they could stoke anti-American sentiment and endanger U.S. troops. It seems, however, that greater anti-American sentiment is provoked by conducting such abuses and then hiding the evidence.

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Help Reform the State Secrets Privilege

May 11, 2009 by Roger Strother*

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has launched its campaign to ramp up support for the State Secrets Protection Act of 2009 (S. 417). Although a recent appellate court decision has thrown the executive branch’s broad interpretation of power into question, legislation is still needed to codify restrictions to presidential authority. Please act now to make your voice heard on this important issue.

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BREAKING: Open Government Directive to be Open for Public Comment Next Week

May 6, 2009 by Roger Strother*

Next week, Aneesh Chopra, who has been appointed though not yet confirmed as Chief Technology Officer, will issue long-awaited recommendations for the Open Government Directive. Sources indicate that the recommendations will be open to public comment through unspecified new media conduits. While a nice gesture, I worry that the vague and apparently last minute plans for gathering public input will fall short of the more collaborative and participatory process that the administration has been promising.

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Justice Department Clarifies FOIA Policy

On April 17, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) at the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new guidance on agency implementation of the March 19 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) memo written by Attorney General Eric Holder. Despite the clarifications, public interest groups continue to notice a wide difference between the new policy and agency actions on FOIA.

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OMB Watch Unveils Redesigned, Expanded Environmental Right-to-Know Website

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2009—OMB Watch today launched a redesigned and expanded website for the Right-to-Know Network (RTK NET) at www.rtknet.org. The website serves as a source for information about environmental and public health threats and opportunities for public engagement with environmental policy, and it offers news, data, and analysis of environmental right-to-know issues.

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Courts Give up Hope on Executive Branch State Secrets Claims

Apr 29, 2009 by Roger Strother*

In a blow to a key position held by the Bush and Obama administrations on executive branch power, an appeals court has ruled against the administrations on a major state secrets case. On April 28, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Boeing subsidiary Jeppeson DataPlan, which participated in flying suspected terrorists to foreign countries to be tortured as part of the CIA “extraordinary rendition” program, can be sued.