FOI

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…

A coalition of 40 California newsrooms has published a study examining the challenges of large-scale public records requests. The California Reporting Project developed a tool, RequestAtlas, to manage unstructured data obtained through public record requests related to police use of force and misconduct.  The study found that early attempts to…

A Fulton County Superior Court judge in Georgia has ruled that the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF) must release 15 unredacted public records related to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, known as “Cop City,” within 30 days. The records include board meeting agendas, budget documents, and emails with Georgia Attorney…

A May study titled “Lessons from the Dissolution of Mexico’s Information Commission” examines the March closure of Mexico’s national transparency commission. Researchers Gregory Michener, Margaret Kwoka, and others analyzed the shutdown and identified lack of public engagement as a key factor.  The commission, once regarded as a global model for…

Access to public records continues to vary widely by state, with Alabama ranking last in compliance, according to a recent analysis. While neighboring Florida responded promptly to a reporter’s request regarding a swatting incident at a U.S. senator’s beach house, Alabama agencies delayed or denied similar requests related to a…

Newly released documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was aware of serious health risks following the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment and controlled burn in East Palestine, Ohio.  According to a lawsuit by the Government Accountability Project against FEMA and…