Investigative journalist Jason Leopold’s testimony highlights systemic efforts by government agencies to obstruct public access to information, revealing that institutions like the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment are willing to offer illegal deals to silence persistent FOIA requesters. This aggressive resistance demonstrates a profound institutional hostility toward transparency, where agencies prioritize secrecy over legal compliance, effectively treating diligent journalists as adversaries rather than constituents exercising their right to know. Beyond overt intimidation, agencies routinely exploit procedural delays to render requested information irrelevant, ensuring that significant revelations never reach the public while the news cycle moves on. By consistently failing to meet statutory response deadlines, especially during high-profile political events, these bureaucratic tactics serve as a powerful deterrent, discouraging reporters from utilizing freedom of information laws due to the overwhelming time and legal costs required to secure timely data. Furthermore, the article exposes the misuse of statutory exemptions, particularly by the FBI, which incorrectly applies broad interpretive loopholes to withhold records despite clear legislative intent to the contrary. This relevance to open_data underscores the critical need for robust legal reforms and stronger enforcement mechanisms to ensure that government data remains accessible, as current practices allow agencies to legally evade accountability and maintain excessive control over publicly owned information.
Source: techdirt.comPublished on 2023-12-05
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