Last fall, we conducted a data quality analysis of the grants data present in USASpending.gov. We called the project [Clearspending](http://sunlightfoundation.com/clearspending).... View Article
Continue readingVisitor Logs Hearing in Energy and Commerce Committee
I testified earlier today before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It was a... View Article
Continue readingLandmark Public Online Information Act Jointly Reintroduced In House And Senate
Today Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) reintroduced the landmark Public Online Information Act. If enacted, POIA... View Article
Continue readingNew Study Finds Agencies Slow to Adopt Even Basic FOIA Guidelines
Sunshine Week starts with a new report from the National Security Archive and the Knight Foundation that finds only 49... View Article
Continue readingInvestigative Reporting Workshop Launches ‘Exemption 10’ Blog
American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop began a new blog yesterday entitled ‘Exemption 10‘ in reference to the unwritten tenth exemption... View Article
Continue readingSCOTUS: Corporations Not People (at least with respect to one FOIA provision)
Today the Supreme Court handed down a decision in FCC v. AT&T (decision here [PDF]) in which the Court decided... View Article
Continue readingOverlooked part of Dodd-Frank law could keep information from the public
Buried in the massive Dodd-Frank financial law is a section that could prevent the public from obtaining records the government collects as part of its new oversight of hedge funds and other private funds managed by investment advisers.
Section 404 remained unchanged when Congress last fall repealed another part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act--section 929I--that had provided a massive exemption from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Congress approved that repeal under tremendous pressure after Fox Business News reported that the SEC had cited the new ...
Continue readingThe Supreme Court gets “personal” with corporations
by AC Ranasinghe – Law Clerk On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear argument on whether corporations have a right... View Article
Continue readingRepublicans Ask Watchdogs to Review FOIA Request Process
Inspectors general at the Energy Department and Social Security Administration say their review of FOIA procedures at the request of senior Republican lawmakers showed no signs of meddling by political appointees.
Two dozen other agency and department watchdogs have yet to respond to a letter from Rep. Darrell Issa of California and Sen. Grassley of Iowa asking for a quick check of FOIA procedures. The two Republicans sent the letters about a month ago after media reports that the Homeland Security Department subjected FOIA requests from lawmakers, journalists and activist groups to a new “political review” process. Such requests were ...
Bill Closing SEC FOIA Exemption Goes to the President
Yesterday the House passed legislation to close a loophole that may have allowed the SEC to disregard certain FOIA requests.... View Article
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