The White House is removing a federal regulation that subjects Office of Administration, which is in charge of archiving emails, to the Freedom of Information Act, claiming that court rulings find its office is not subject to the transparency law.
This comes on the heels of Hillary Clinton’s scandal where she stored years of state emails on her private server.
The exemption of the Office of Administration from the FOIA is listed in the Federal Register as a final rule, meaning that there will be no opportunity for public comment.
The timing of this removal brought some questions to the transparency advocates because it was on National Freedom of Information Day and during the debate over the preservation of Obama administration records. And it’s Sunshine Week, a week where news organization and watchdog groups bring issues of government transparency to the forefront.Anne Weismann of the liberal Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said:
“The irony of this being Sunshine Week is not lost on me.”
For 30 years, the Office of Administration has responded to FOIA requests. Until the Obama administration, groups on the left and right used the records to shed light on how the White House works.
“This is an office that operated under the FOIA for 30 years, and when it became politically inconvenient, they decided they weren’t subject to the Freedom of Information Act any more.” Tom Fitton from Judicial said.
CREW sued over e-mails that were deleted by the White House.
A federal appeals court in Washington ruled that the Office of Administration was not subject to the FOIA in 2009.
The appeals court ruled the White House would be required to archive the e-mails and not release them to the FOIA. Now the White House e-mails must be released under the Presidential Records Act, that will be five years after the end of the administration.
The rule change makes it so there will not be a formal process for the public to request the White House voluntarily disclose records. These records include the White House visitor logs.
The White House didn’t say why it waited almost six years to acknowledge the court ruling of regulations.
Brandi Hoffine, a White House spokeswoman says that the administration remains committed to work towards unprecedented openness in government. She stated:
“Over the past six years, federal agencies have gone to great efforts to make government more transparent and more accessible than ever, including by making information available to the public via our Open Government initiative and improving the FOIA process.”
Rick Blum, coordinator of the Sunshine in Government initiative for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press was not happy with ruling. He says the bigger issue is the that the Office of Administration is responsible for record-keeping. With the Clinton e-mail controversy, there should be more scrutiny of the record-keeping practices he thought.
“I think what we’ve all learned in the last few weeks is the person who creates a record–whether it’s running a program or writing an e-mail–is the one who gets to decide whether it’s an official record,” Blum said. “And there ought to be another set of eyes on that. That’s the essential problem.”
Just like that crazy muslim to make it so white house/ he is immune from freedom of information act.
We need Change ! Now more then ever! Sick of all the Career Politicians! l We have to much corruption in Washington D.C And to much in the White House right now! Fraud , All the scandal’s from the Clinton and now with the Obama’s! With nothing in sight You look at are candidate’s? Look what we have to work Career Politician! Obama running us into the ground could care less and doing nothing! Hillary Clinton & Bill what a joke to put them back in to do nothing! We had them in and all we had was scandal after scandal’s! Bill couldn’t keep his pant’s up! We don’t need that again Bernie Sander’s he going to give Free thing’s to everybody? Illegal 65,000 Him and Hillary plan to bring in a year! We need to take care of our people, vet’s, homeless first! Ted Cruz is another Bill Clinton all over again! All we have left is Donald J. Trump I know some of the thing’s he say are a little off! But he is the only one who does care about America! He has been very good with his business’s! He does care! He could take off and go back to his own life! And he’s Not a career Politician, Governor, Senator, We all have flaw’s! Nobody perfect! He’s not one of their puppet’s. Look what going on now???? Our President could care less! I say Why not give Trump a chance to prove he can help America get back on track! He one who’s never ask for a dime from any of us! Using his own money. He’s gone through hell with everyone coming out of the wood work to bashing him. He’s had every Scum and trash down talking him! I think he’s done a great job! Most people would say shove it and Quit! But he feel’s he can do it and we the people have to give him support to the end! Please what do we have to lose but to the one who will do nothing for us! Please Support Donald Trump for President 2016 Let beat all the trash that holding us back! Make America great again! Donald Trump for President 2016
Barack Obama is the enemy! AMERICA HANG THE TYRANT Indonesian communist foreigner!
NO WAY HOSE! YOU ARE UNDER THE LAWS SAME AS WE FOLKS ARE!
Next they won’t have to pay taxes either city state or otherwise.
Wrong Obama!!!
TREASON! Vote for Trump and let’s take our country back.
Straight Up … Only hiding Criminal Activity … Impeach Obama now ! No American can be above the Law !
Corruption!
What a crock of$#%&!@*