Drones, police body cameras and other issues discussed with Pennsylvania’s open records chief

While recent decisions and court findings have clarified what records can be requested under Pennsylvania's Right-To-Know law, the state's open records chief said there are still some unanswered questions.

Erik Arneson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, spoke to reporters Thursday on a wide variety of topics and issues. Continue>>>

======

More

DOJ to disclose memo justifying drone strikes on Americans, easing Senate vote on author

In a bid to clear the way for a controversial Senate nominee, the Obama administration signaled it will publicly reveal a secret memo explaining its legal justification for using drones to kill American citizens overseas.

The Justice Department, officials say, has decided not to appeal a Court of Appeals ruling requiring disclosure of a redacted version of the memo under the Freedom of Information Act.

More

CIA refuses to acknowledge drone targeted killings

From Wired:  Months after a federal appeals court reinstated a lawsuit seeking Central Intelligence Agency documents outlining the government’s drone targeted killing program, the President Barack Obama administration is again claiming that acknowledging if it has such paperwork could disclose classified secrets concerning whether it even carries out targeted killings.

All the while, a federal appeals court ruled in March that everybody knows the government performs targeted killings.

More

Lawsuit seeks to restore FOIA access to NSC records

From Politico:  A legal clinic seeking information on the U.S. Government's use of drone strikes and "kill lists" in the war on terror is mounting a headlong drive to restore the Freedom of Information Act's reach into the White House.

For decades, the core federal transparency law had some—albeit limited—purchase in the White House. At least some National Security Council records could be obtained through FOIA, along with some administrative records relating to White House operations.

More

Obama speech impacts California drone lawsuit

From Twin Cities Daily Planet:  Since its earliest days, the Obama administration has been circumspect about officially confirming the existence of its drone-centric counter-terrorism operations. Despite extensive press coverage of the subject (as well as apparently sanctioned leaks and carefully crafted public statements) the administration avoided officially acknowledging its drone program for over four years.

More