By Todd FettigNFOIC outreach coordinator For six years, Dennis Buckovetz worked alone, from the back bedroom of his house, uncovering the details of possible wrongdoing at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Buckovetz, who served in the Vietnam War as a Marine, was working as administrative director of Marine Corps Community Services at…
Tag: FOIA
Letter, signed by NFOIC, calls for oversight hearing on agency compliance with FOIA
The National Freedom of Information Coalition joined more than two dozen organizations in calling for a hearing on federal agency compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. An April 7, 2021, letter to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee said a hearing was necessary to understand FOIA implementation by the Trump Administration and to seek…
Chicago Tribune highlights private citizens using state’s FOIA to reveal information, change laws
An April 2, 2021, Chicago Tribune article by Courtney Kueppers demonstrates how private citizens using the Illinois Freedom of Information Act can “shape public discourse and change laws.”…
Deadline draws near for NFOIC’s 2021 Freedom of Information papers
Do you have research in freedom of information that will make a difference? Then submit your proposal to the National Freedom of Information Coalition’s research paper competition for presentation during the 2021 FOI Summit. Top-three papers will earn cash prizes and will be guaranteed publication in the online Journal of Civic Information, published by the…
NYT Opinion: No, Your FOIA Request Cannot Wait ‘Until This Emergency Is Over’
In the more than half-century since President Lyndon Johnson signed the nation’s first Freedom of Information Act into law, the measure has proved to be a valuable tool for taxpayers and the press to keep a check on dealings by public officials that would otherwise be shrouded in secrecy. FOIA requests have yielded insights into…
Representative pushes for transparency with FOIA in S.C. General Assembly
Republican Weston Newton was re-elected to South Carolina’s House of Representatives District 120, a position representing Beaufort and Jasper Counties that he’s held since he was first elected in 2012. After two years in the House, he was asked to chair a new committee on oversight. In the past four years, Newton has set a…
Industries Turn Freedom of Information Requests on Their Critics
Dennis J. Ventry Jr., a law professor at the University of California, Davis, drew the ire of tax preparation companies like Intuit and H&R Block this summer by criticizing a deal they have to provide a free tax filing service through the Internal Revenue Service. The companies promptly hit back with a tactic that corporations, lobbyists and…
MuckRock: Share your story and help us fight FOIA fees around the country
According to the Department of Justice Summary of Annual FOIA Reports for FY 2017, almost $3 million dollars were collected in FOIA fees last year. Whether you’re new to FOIA or a seasoned vet, there’s a pretty high chance that the records you need will come at a price. Best case scenario, your charges are reasonable…
The News & Observer: The Freedom of Information Act isn’t just for journalists. Here’s how you can use it too.
If you follow The News & Observer’s investigative stories, you’ve probably seen this phrase: “a Freedom of Information Act request” or “obtained through a public records request.” Those requests are made through what’s known as FOIA — journalists pronounce it “FOY-ah” — and refer to laws that govern public information. While news reporters are some of the most…
Opinion: Government ‘transparency’ has gone too far
by Mitch Daniels to the Washington Post Dave Eggers’s 2013 novel “The Circle” depicts a world where demands for “openness” annihilate privacy and personal autonomy, creating a dystopian nightmare. Public officials in the tale try to outdo each other in going “clear” by wearing body cameras and microphones every waking moment. For most readers, the…