FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: Comptroller of Currency, CFPB, & Nat'l Credit Union agree to protect correspondence with House committee

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

These Federal Agencies Agreed To Conceal Their Communications From The Public

They are responding to a letter sent from Congressman Jeb Hensarling, a Republican from Texas, who chairs the House Committee on Financial Services.
 
Mary Ann Georgantopoulos, BuzzFeed News, May 8, 2017

At least three federal government agencies have agreed to seemingly conceal official communications with a congressional committee, following letters sent last month by the chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services.

Congressman Jeb Hensarling, a Republican from Texas, sent letters in April to the heads of federal agencies his committee oversees, declaring that communications and documents produced between the two offices will remain in the committee's control and will not be considered "agency records" — therefore exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Credit Union Administration all responded to Hensarling's letter agreeing to decline requests to release documents if requested under FOIA.

Read more here.