Freelance journalist Shawn Musgrave cited a “common law right of access” to legislative records in seeking videos of the January 6 insurrection. Congressional records are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If successful, the lawsuit could bring greater transparency to Congress. (The Hill, August 18, 2021, by Harper Neidig)
Congress has long exempted itself in passing open records laws, but Musgrave found a foothold in a D.C. Circuit ruling that cited a “common law right” of public access to government records even those of the legislative branch. (Freedom of the Press Foundation, August 30, 2021, by Parker Higgins)