Performative Pandemic Panic
Officials’ cynical manipulation of the public damaged their own credibility as well as the world at large.
FOIA
The Confusion Surrounding Brian Sicknick's Death Was a Failure of Government Transparency
Blame the media for running anonymous sources, but don't let government off the hook for its secrecy and misinformation.
RIP Mark Schlefer, the Man Who Made FOIA Happen
"In the drafting, we were adamant that you didn't have to have an interest to have access. You could just be a citizen."
I Asked for Public Records on a Fatal Police Shooting. Then a Washington Sheriff's Office Sued Me.
The move is similar to what's known as a "reverse FOIA" lawsuit, which forces the requester to go to court to defend his right to access public records.
CBP Official Allegedly Said Agents Should 'Beat That Tonk Like a Piñata Until Candy Comes Out'
The 2012 internal affairs report complaint was filed by a use-of-force instructor who warned the advice could lead to lawsuits.
A Federal Judge Says William Barr's Spin on the Mueller Report Makes the Attorney General Untrustworthy
Were the Justice Department's redactions influenced by Barr's desire to exonerate the president?
Fed Scientists Filmed Themselves Giving Monkeys Brain Damage. A Watchdog Group Wants the Footage.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health reportedly damaged monkeys' brains with acid before showing them pictures of fruit.
Is the FBI Snooping on Political Groups and Ideological Publications?
The Cato Institute wants Congress to investigate the FBI after it refused to confirm or deny the existence of files on dozens of political advocacy groups.
Expect More Government Secrecy in Business Relationships, Thanks to Supreme Court
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling expanded when the government can keep business records secret. That's bad news for transparency
In Deadly Drug Raid Case, a Texas County Refuses to Release Information It Has Already Released
Contradictory responses to a request for autopsy reports illustrate how law enforcement agencies take advantage of a broad exception to the state's public records law.
Are Food-Stamp Receipts Beyond the Reach of FOIA? Supreme Court Hears Arguments Today
Plus: Violence in Sri Lanka leads to social media suppression, and the White House wants to make it harder for pretrial diversion participants to get government jobs.
The Sorry State of FOIA
More than 50 years later, it is a wheezing, arthritic artifact of more optimistic times.
Watchdog Sues to Expose Secret Government Kitten Killing
Thousands of cats have been killed over 50 years of experiments. Why is the USDA denying feline fatality FOIA requests?
Oops! The EPA Published the Social Security Numbers of People Who Filed FOIA Requests
Thanks to a design bug in a government transparency website, dozens of social security numbers were mistakenly made public.
Police Can Refuse to Say Whether Records Exist, New York's Highest Court Rules
In a case brought by two Muslim men seeking surveillance records on themselves, the court approves the NYPD's "neither confirm nor deny" response.
D.C.'s Cache of Seized Illegal Guns Has Antique Rifles and Paintball Guns, But Few Bump-Stock-Compatible Weapons
I sent a FOIA request to the lab that processes guns seized by police in the nation's capital. Here's what I found out.
319 NYPD Officers Committed Fireable Offenses But Kept Their Jobs
Cops got probation even after internal tribunal found them guilty of excessive force, sexual harassment, and ticket-fixing
Pittsburgh Tried to Hide Its Amazon Proposal by Claiming It Was a 'Trade Secret'
What trade would that be, exactly?
Where Are All the FBI's Files on Dungeons & Dragons?
How a silly record request revealed a deeper problem with FBI transparency.
D&D Creator Gary Gygax's FBI Records Make Him Sound Like a Badass
"He is known to be a member of the Libertarian Party."
California High Court Rules Public Records Remain Public on Private Email
Government officials cannot skirt public records laws by using private email accounts.
Feds Blame 'Self-Styled FOIA Terrorist' for Their Own Stonewalling
Journalists shouldn't have to sue to get public information.
Scott Pruitt Emails Reveal He Consulted with Industry About Regulations
Another tiresome example of selective political outrage ensues.
'The Most Transparent Administration in History'
A campaign promise becomes a punchline.
Border Patrol and IRS Sued for Stonewalling FOIA Requests on Asset Forfeiture
IRS charges nonprofit $750K to see FOIA records on asset forfeiture.
Top 10 Things We Learned From Hillary Clinton Campaign's Emails
Between the WikiLeaks revelations, FOIA requests, and FBI investigation, there are important details among the noise.
Government Creates a Fake Expert, Won't Release Files on Him Because Privacy
In search of Guy Sims Fitch
Media Outlets Sue for Details on San Bernardino Terrorist IPhone Hack
FBI refuses to publicly reveal security vulnerability.
Journalist Angers Judge With Open Records Request, Gets Charged With Felonies
"I don't react well when my honesty is questioned," Judge Brenda Weaver says.
Secretive National Security Letters Can Help FBI More Easily Snoop on Journalists
It's not about fighting terrorism; it's about finding leakers.
Will We Ever Truly Know the Extent of CIA Torture During the War on Terror?
Copy of Senate report 'mistakenly' gets destroyed as government successfully resists release.
RICO Climate Alarmists FOIA Emails Released
How the letter urging a RICO investigation of groups dissenting from the climate consensus was concocted
How a FOIA Request into Hillary Clinton's Emails Revealed a Criminal Investigation
Clinton had characterized the FBI's investigation as "routine," but the DOJ now refers to it as a "law enforcement proceeding."
Virginia Bill Would Exempt Cops' Names, Positions from FOIA Requests
After The Virginian-Pilot requested the names of all police officers in the state to track problem cops.
Houston PD Releases Highly Redacted Use of Force Policy to Black Lives Matter, Says It Was AG Decision (Updated)
But the Office of the Attorney General told Reason they had no record of that request.
Government-Funded Scientists: Never Hide Anything from the Public
Actually, science only works well when all researchers show their work
School System Wants $77K from Michigan Mom to Fulfill Her FOIA Request | Updated!
Sherry Smith just wants to know how the school system decided on placement for her special-needs son.
Snowden Documentary Director Sues to Find Out How She Ended Up on Watchlists
She was getting pulled aside and interrogated almost a decade before Citizenfour.
Ain't No Sunshine When He's On: Obama Administration Most Opaque Ever
Another record in avoiding transparency
Transparency is a Pro-Government Policy
Secrecy breeds mistrust among the public, an assumption that the government is doing things it shouldn't
How the NSA and Its Allies Tried to Stop the First Book-Length Exposé of the Agency
James Bamford's battles with the National Security Agency.
