'Ulterior motive': 'Frequent filer' Trump has long history of FOIA requests — here’s why

Donald Trump’s unprecedented use of the Freedom of Information Act as a former president reveals a strategic effort to manipulate government transparency mechanisms. By filing requests to the National Archives and the Internal Revenue Service, he attempted to obscure official deliberations and delay the release of sensitive information, including his tax records. This behavior highlights a significant deviation from standard public record access norms, as former presidents rarely utilize FOIA tools designed for journalists and historians. The relevance to open data lies in how such actions threaten the integrity of public archives and taxpayer information. When political figures weaponize transparency laws to hide behind procedural delays, it undermines the fundamental purpose of open government. It demonstrates how existing frameworks can be exploited to obstruct accountability rather than enhance it, creating barriers for researchers and the public seeking truthful insights into executive actions. Ultimately, this case underscores the vulnerability of open data systems when faced with deliberate obfuscation by powerful individuals. It calls for stricter oversight of how FOIA requests are processed and monitored, ensuring that transparency tools remain accessible for public scrutiny rather than becoming instruments of secrecy. Protecting the openness of government data requires vigilance against these tactics to maintain trust in institutional records.

Source: alternet.org
Published on 2025-04-05

'Ulterior motive': 'Frequent filer' Trump has long history of FOIA requests — here’s why

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