TAG / FOIA

RESULTS

CORRUPTION

Energy Department Sparks Uproar With New “Still Interested” FOIA Policy

The Department of Energy’s recent demand that requesters reconfirm their interest or face automatic closure is drawing fire from transparency advocates and raising legal alarms.

HUMAN RIGHTS

City of Richmond Faces Lawsuit After Ousting FOIA Watchdog

A whistleblower lawsuit claims Richmond officials ignored FOIA deadlines, ordered illegal delays and retaliated against the FOIA officer who spoke up. Now that former director is FOIAing them.

HUMAN RIGHTS

50 States of Disclosure: A State-by-State Road Trip Celebrating FOIA’s July 4 Anniversary

Nearly six decades on, FOIA remains a cornerstone of democracy—and despite delays, loopholes and denials in state laws, the fight for transparency endures.

CORRUPTION

Judge Rules Fort Smith Violated FOIA After Hiring Woman Charged with Felony Stalking

A judge found Fort Smith violated the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act after hiring a candidate charged with felony stalking. The fallout exposes deep cracks in transparency and oversight.

HUMAN RIGHTS

FOIA Requests Hit Record High as Federal Staff Cuts Expected to Deepen Backlog

A record 1.5 million FOIA requests in 2024 collide with sweeping staff reductions, leaving public records in limbo.

CORRUPTION

Connecticut Bureaucrats Hit Whistleblower with Sky-High FOIA Fee to Bury Loan Abuse Scandal

Connecticut’s DECD wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on bad loans—then punished the whistleblower who uncovered it.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Taxpayer-Funded Secrecy: How Agencies Stonewall FOIA Requests

From CIA fudge recipes to $2 million invoices for requests, public officials are making a mockery of transparency laws—often at the public’s expense.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Bill to Shield Lawmakers from Transparency Advances in West Virginia

West Virginia legislators are moving to exempt themselves from FOIA. If passed, the bill would end public accountability in the Mountain State.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Exemptions Gut Florida FOI Laws—A Constant Assault on Government Transparency

Legislators have passed over 1,100 exemptions to Florida’s Sunshine Law. From Dale Earnhardt’s 2001 autopsy to the governor’s travel plans, the public are left in the dark.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Virginia FOIA Law Strangled by Legislators Who Claim to Advocate Transparency 

Nine thousand dollars for a school bus video? That’s the price of government transparency in Virginia. Legislators killed a bill that would have brought costs in line.