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December 2, 2008 10:02:51 PM CST

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Freedom of Information Act

Freedom of Information Act news stories

10 Stories

 Fed Won't Say 
 Where $2T 
 in Loans Went 

Money is in addition to $700B Wall St. bailout; collateral unclear, too

Bloomberg Bloomberg Nov 10, 08 12:54 PM CST
(Newser) - The Federal Reserve has lent more than $2 trillion to financial institutions under programs without congressional oversight—and will not disclose to whom or under what terms, Bloomberg reports. The loans are separate from the $700 billion congressionally approved bailout package. Investors and citizens are concerned that the collateral given in these unregulated programs could be improperly valued. More »

More about:  Financial Crisis • bailout • credit crisis • Federal Reserve • lawsuit • Wall Street • Ben Bernanke • Freedom of Information Act

Secret Justice Memo Bares CIA Torture Defense

Agents would be safe from prosecution if they acted in good faith

CNN CNN Jul 25, 08 1:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Bush administration advised the CIA in 2002 that its agents would not be prosecuted on anti-torture legislation as long as they professed an "honest belief" that their actions would not cause severe pain and anguish, CNN reports. The memo is one of three made public by the ACLU, and the rights group says they prove the Justice Department essentially sanctioned torture. More »

More about:  CIA • Department of Justice • torture • ACLU • Freedom of Information Act

White House Emails Can Stay Missing: Judge

Watchdog group outraged by ruling about lost missives

Washington Post Washington Post Jun 16, 08 8:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - Records on millions of missing White House emails can stay secret after all, a federal judge ruled today. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected a watchdog group's lawsuit, saying the records are kept in an agency exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. A probe, lawsuit, and appeal are all pending in the battle over emails that vanished mysteriously last year. More »

More about:  George W. Bush • White House • Freedom of Information Act • federal judges • watchdog • ruling

 Clinton to Release
 First Lady Schedules 

All 11,046 pages of them

Associated Press Associated Press Mar 19, 08 8:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - The public can finally get a look at Hillary Clinton’s record as first lady—all 11,046 pages of it. The National Archives will release all of Clinton's daily schedules, it announced yesterday, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request made almost a year ago. The documents detail Clinton’s comings and goings, including meetings, trips, speaking engagements, and social functions. More »

CIA 'Gulled' Court on Torture Tapes, Says Judge

May quiz officials himself

New York Times New York Times Jan 18, 08 5:25 AM CST
(Newser) - A federal judge said he suspects the CIA lied to his court about tapes showing the harsh interrogations of two al-Qaeda leaders, the New York Times reports. The CIA claims no records exist concerning the tapes, which were destroyed in 2005. But the judge, currently deciding a Freedom of Information Act request concerning the videos, says that's not credible. “I just can’t accept it,” said Manhattan Judge Allen Hellerstein. More »

More about:  al-Qaeda • CIA • torture • ACLU • Freedom of Information Act • Abu Zubaydah • interrogation tapes • Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri

WH Told to Reveal Visitor List

Court rules that Bush and Cheney's appointments are public knowledge

Associated Press Associated Press Dec 17, 07 7:36 PM CST
(Newser) - Who stops by the White House or Dick Cheney's place is a matter of public record, a district court judge ruled today, blocking the Bush administration's attempts to keep visitor logs sealed. Liberal watchdogs had argued the information is covered by the Freedom of Information Act, while President Bush had ordered the records turned over to the White House—which now has 20 days to open records. More »

More about:  George W. Bush • Bush administration • White House • James Dobson • Freedom of Information Act • Jerry Falwell • Gary Bauer • White House visitors

NASA Forced to Open Up on UFO Incident

Court orders agency to release data related to 1965 UFO sightings

Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Dec 10, 07 10:20 AM CST
(Newser) - A court has ordered NASA to release info relating to a UFO sighting 42 years ago in Kecksburg, Pa. Several witnesses say they saw the crash of a large object, which soldiers then carted off. The Chicago Tribune probes the case, in which a freelance journalist sued NASA under the Freedom of Information Act after the agency repeatedly stalled in releasing documents related to the incident. More »

More about:  NASA • Freedom of Information Act • UFO sightings

Clintons Keep White House Papers Buried

Hillary's documents unlikely to see daylight before 2008 election

Newsweek Newsweek Oct 21, 07 1:40 PM CDT
(Newser) - People curious about Hillary Clinton’s role in her husband’s White House won’t find anything helpful in his presidential library, Newsweek reports. Less than 1% of the 98 million documents and emails there are public, though all are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Bill Clinton instructed librarians to “consider withholding” anything related to “policy, personal, or political” matters. More »

Prying Eyes Won't Get to Hillary’s Papers

Rivals refused access
to first lady's records
in Clinton Library

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Aug 14, 07 2:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Nearly 2 million pages of documents from Hillary Clinton’s years as first lady are sealed at the Clinton Presidential Library, and an eager opposition is chomping at the bit to get to them. Archivists say the documents—including appointment logs and memos—won’t be released before next year’s election, but some hope Freedom of Information Act requests will beat that clock, the LA Times reported. More »

Veil of Secrecy Descends on White House

Court fight rages
over Secret Service visitor records

Associated Press Associated Press Jun 1, 07 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - The White House wants records of top officials' meetings to be secret, and the latest attempt to put a lid on that information raises questions about privacy, confidentiality, and the definition of presidential records, the AP reports. This week's revelation of the vice president's effort to restrict record-keeping at his residence is just the latest volley in an ongoing battle. More »

More about:  Bush administration • White House • privacy • Freedom of Information Act • Republican Congress

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