The Center for Effective Government rated federal agencies for their performance in providing access to information and found that eight out of 15 agencies improved since last year but that none received A grades. Eight agencies earned Ds including the departments of Treasury, Homeland Security and Defense along with the Securities and Exchange Commision while State and Health and Human Services earned Fs. Congress is considering legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act. (Center for Effective Government, March 10, 2015, press release)
As the press and public focus on Hilary Clinton’s use of personal e-mails to conduct State Department business, the D.C. federal appeals court refused to require a lower court to reconsider a Freedom of information Act case charging Clinton with contempt for not providing her e-mails concerning waivers of anti-Iran sanctions. (Politico, March 11, 2015, by Josh Gerstein)
The Associated Press filed a suit this week to force the State Department to release Clinton’s e-mails during her reign as secretary of state. The AP said they had filed numerous requests in recent years that have gone unanswered. According to the AP, “The FOIA requests and the suit seek materials related to her public and private calendars; correspondence involving aides likely to play important roles in her expected campaign for president; and Clinton-related emails about the Osama bin Laden raid and National Security Agency surveillance practices.” (AP, March 11, 2015, by Steve Peoples)
State’s Inspector General also reported this week that State Department employees were not trained and instructed about rules mandating preservation of e-mails for the public record. (The Hill, March 11, 2015, by Mariio Trujillo)