FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: DHS IG finds no political interference in FOIA decisions

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

Audit Finds No Political Interference in FOIA Responses at DHS

FedWeek, Oct. 18, 2017

A DHS policy giving political appointees advance notice that the department is about to release information under a significant FOIA request has not resulted in interference with decisions regarding release of information but it has that potential, an IG audit has said.

The goal of the advance notice is to give high-ranking officials a chance to “prepare for media inquiries or possible litigation,” a report said.

The report was a followup to one of 2011 that concluded that appointees might have improperly delayed or withheld releases of information. Since then, the department has reduced the notice from three days to one, and FOIA processors no longer wait for approval before releasing responses to such requests.

Read more here.

IG audit available here.