The Justice Department has denied requests to reveal information about domestic wiretapping, data collection on travelers and U.S. citizens, and interrogation of suspected terrorists to the public. It has stated that a final decision on releasing certain information will not be made until the new administration rewrites Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines. It is unclear whether the new administration’s policy for openess in government will be applied retroactively to FOIA requests that the agency already has finished processing. The Justice Department’s resistance to the release of records is contrary to President Obama’s promise of more open government.
Some of the cases in which the Justice Department is upholding the Bush administration’s refusal to release records include:
-A case involving a request for documents regarding the Automated Targeting System used by Customs officers to screen all travelers leaving or entering the country.
-A case seeking records of telecommunications companies regarding lobbying for legal immunity for their cooperation in warrantless domestic wiretapping.
-A case seeking the Department of Justice’s legal opinions justifying wiretapping.
-Three cases seeking the Department of Justice’s legal opinions about detention and interrogation of terrorism detainees.
Source: http://news.findlaw.com/ap/a/w/1151/02-17-2009/20090217002009_08.html
Tags: FOIA, JHustice Department, Open Government, Warrantless Wiretapping
