The Freedom Of Information

The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a tool we use often at FACT to hold government officials accountable to the public. However, too often, some of these officials seem to think it’s their job to keep public records out of the hands of the American people rather than help make our government more transparent.

For example, while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State, her chief of staff Cheryl Mills scrutinized “political sensitive documents” requested under FOIA and blocked the release of records, including records related to the Keystone XL pipeline and former President Bill Clinton’s speaking engagements. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is now looking into this alleged interference with FOIA requests by State Department appointees.

A federal judge in Washington this week set a schedule for Clinton’s emails to be released in monthly batches beginning on June 30 and ending in late January 2016. These emails had been sought under FOIA, but were not accessible for records requests because they were kept on a private email server owned by Clinton before she turned over selected emails to the State Department.

There are several resources available to help you get your hands on public records despite the efforts by some officials to shut the public out of the behind-the-scenes operations of their government.

A federal government website, openFOIA, includes basic information on the federal FOIA law and provides contact information for making records requests with specific government agencies. The Justice Department also provides a how-to guide on using FOIA, including videos that explain how the process works. The Freedom of Information Center has information on open records laws at all levels of government, including explanations of open records laws in each state, as well as template letters for use in submitting requests.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is seeking feedback from the public on their experience with the federal FOIA process, in particular whether or not records have been excessively redacted or delayed. Several years ago the committee also issued a helpful “citizen’s guide” to using FOIA.

Public records laws like FOIA are only as strong as the people who use them and demand their enforcement. That’s why it is important to exercise the right to public records by using the open records laws that help protect the interests of taxpayers like you.