FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: Op-ed gripes about FOIA

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

The Freedom of Information Act needs to be modernized 

By Curtis Schube & Gary Lawkowski, The Hill, July 24, 2023

In the past few weeks, the explosive contents of an email sent by former chief medical adviser and COVID guru Anthony Fauci, discussing the possible origins of COVID-19, have come to light. That email was part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Like many of the documents in the response, the CDC had completely redacted the email. The redaction rendered the response virtually useless despite it clearly being in the public interest. Only the action of the House Oversite Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic brought the contents of the email to light. It leaves one to wonder, is FOIA living up to its intended purpose?

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