FOIA Files

Are you familiar with the “preliminary drafts” exemption to Illinois Freedom of Information Act requests, which allows policymakers to withhold early versions of documents while they’re in their earliest stages, under the assumption that later, revised and finalized versions will be made available? Illinois Governor Pat Quinn knows the exemption […]

Despite the humorous nature of the FOIA request for the White House beer recipes, the POTUS’ Assistant Chef responded Saturday with a wisecracking blog post on WhiteHouse.gov that included recipes for Honey Ale, Honey Brown Ale and Honey Porter. Check out what may be one of the first video responses […]

Politico’s Josh Gerstein outlines a recent federal court decision. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled that although conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch failed to file an administrative appeal in their lawsuit for documents about federal loans to the failed Solyndra solar panel firm, the fault lies with the Department […]

Still your favorite FOIA story of the month? More musings on what the beer recipe FOIA says about the Obama administration’s commitment to transparency (or not), from the Washington Examiner. Some White House offices are exempt from the law, several are expressly covered, but most offices, being creatures of whimsical, […]

Illinois journalists have been on Gov. Pat Quinn’s case for a month since the Illinois lawmaker forbade them from touring state prisons, citing a “security risk.” Curious about the sudden change in policy while two major state facilities face closure despite overcrowding, the Associated Press filed a FOIA with the […]

An editorial from the Virginian-Pilot about an attempt to extend a uniquely convenient luxury to more elected officials. Under current law, state officials have enjoyed wiggle room that their counterparts in municipalities have not: They can participate in meetings by phone or video so long as they comply with certain […]

Here’s the quick-and-dirty on three statutory exclusions recently added by Congress to national FOIA policy, via guidance issued Friday by the Department of Justice. The three exclusions target circumstances where even acknowledging the existence of certain records can threaten law enforcement or national security interests. In these three cases, federal […]

Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith specializes in national security law, presidential power, cybersecurity, international law, internet law, foreign relations law, and conflict of laws. On his Lawfare blog Thursday, he previewed the scheduled oral arguments over a contentious FOIA dispute involving the American Civil Liberties Union and the Central […]

The following is an e-mail education activist Matt Farmer sent to Asst. Attorney General Tola Sobitan detailing his ongoing FOIA battle with Chicago Public Schools, reprinted with his permission. Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments. Ms. Tola Sobitan (asobitan@atg.state.il.us) Assistant Attorney General — Public Access Bureau 100 W. […]

Agencies can charge for the execution of FOIA requests, but a newly-proposed bill in the Michigan State House would put a cap on those costs. Proponents of the bill say exorbitant fees are prohibitive and can be used to restrict access to information. But when hearings kicked off Tuesday, some […]