A group of government transparency advocates delivered a letter to the White House Monday calling on the Obama administration to do away with its policy of reviewing Freedom of Information Act requests determined by the executive to contain "White House equities." The policy has "caused significant confusion and delay among agencies in their compliance with the Freedom of Information Act."
In 2009, the Obama White House handed down an edict requiring agencies to present all FOIA requests, including 'documents and records, whether in oral, paper, or electronic form, that relate to communications to and from the White House, including preparations for such communications,' to the executive branch for review.
According to transparency advocates, the requirement creates confusion as federal agencies attempt to comply with FOIA requests because it was put into place without any official statute, rule making or other guidance. Furthermore, the group argues that the 2009 memo interferes with congressional oversight and contradicts FOIA's intended purpose of allowing public access to government records. Continue>>>
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