Even the President’s Lawyer Can’t Get Responses to His FOIA Requests
He alleged a State Department conspiracy to thwart public records law. A judge ruled against him.
By Pema Levy, Mother Jones, Feb. 14, 2018
It’s a common gripe among reporters and government watchdogs that the federal government seems to ignore, stall on, or wrongly deny their requests for government records. Requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are piling up at federal agencies, and federal courts are contending with a spike in FOIA litigation as the media and nonprofits turn to the courts in their pursuit of these records. Even President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer has been stymied by the process.
Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump’s personal legal team since last June, has five pending FOIA lawsuits against the Justice Department and State Department. The suits were all filed in 2016 on behalf of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), an evangelical legal nonprofit where he serves as chief counsel.
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