Brechner FOI Project

As federal agencies increasingly use artificial intelligence to process public records requests, new research calls for stronger transparency requirements. In the Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary, Ronald Capaldi argues that the U.S. government should implement algorithmic audits to monitor how AI is used in the FOIA…

A study from the Hong Kong University Business School suggests that Freedom of Information Act requests aren’t just tools for transparency – they can also move markets. Researchers analyzed 22,724 FOIA requests made to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) between 2006 and 2022. They tracked stock market behavior…

A new partnership led by MuckRock and involving the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Brechner Freedom of Information Project is working to help journalists acquire the information they need to inform the public.   Journalism relies on public records, but…

Watchdog group, American Oversight has filed a lawsuit in federal court to compel the United States Justice Department to release records related to Emil Bove, a senior DOJ official and federal judicial nominee facing multiple controversies. The suit seeks to enforce seven Freedom of Information Act requests submitted earlier this…

Universities should proactively post records of research misconduct investigations on their websites to strengthen trust in academic science, argue Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus in a recent paper published in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. The authors highlight cases where excessive secrecy has shielded misconduct, like falsified data…

A national hunting advocacy group is alleging that members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission violated the state’s Public Records Act and is asking Gov. Bob Ferguson to remove them from office. In a lawsuit, The Sportsmen’s Alliance says records it obtained show commissioners discussed agency business via text…

Thomas M. Susman, a longtime FOI champion, recounts the development of the 1974 Freedom of Information Act amendments in a new article published in the Journal of Civic Information.  The piece outlines the legislative process and key figures involved, including Sen. Edward Kennedy, Ralph Nader, and Antonin Scalia. Susman also…

The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the Trump administration for failing to release records identifying industrial polluters who requested exemptions from Clean Air Act protections.  In March, the Trump administration invited fossil fuel companies and other industries to apply for exemptions from limits on hazardous pollutants like mercury and…

University of North Carolina professor David Ardia argues that the public’s right to access government information should be a constitutional right—not just a statutory one.  In a Arizona Law Review article, Ardia writes that access to information is essential for democratic self-governance and should be recognized as a constitutional safeguard…

In a recent opinion, the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed that the district’s mayor’s office must publish agency budget requests under the city’s Freedom of Information Act, and that failure to proactively post the records could result in punishment. The case, District of Columbia v. Terris, Pravlik & Millian…

A survey of investigative journalists found that limited access to government records and sources remains the greatest challenge to holding public officials accountable.  The survey, conducted for the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability at the University of Florida, gathered responses from 51 investigative reporters and editors across the U.S.…

In Minnesota, a Ramsey County judge has ordered the city of St. Paul to pay a resident more than $30,000 in damages and $750 in court costs for violating Minnesota’s open records law, according to reporting from KSTP.  The case stems from a public records request submitted by attorney and…