FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
September 29, 2014 Mary Beth Hutchins, 202-400-2721
Coalition of Open Government Groups Confront President Obama
On Policy that Frustrates Transparency
25 Groups Ask President to Withdraw or Clarify Memorandum Instructing Agencies to Consult with White House on Document Releases
WASHINGTON – A coalition of 25 transparency groups and open government advocates sent a letter to President Obama today urging him to either “withdraw” or “provide guidance to agencies” on a 2009 White House Counsel memorandum that instructs all federal agencies to consult with White House attorneys on documents of interest to the Administration before releasing them.
Sent by then-White House Counsel Gregory Craig, the memorandum requires federal agencies to consult with the White House Counsel’s Office on any document request that may involve records implicating “White House equities.” An undefined term that allows the White House to affect agency decision-making over the release of documents, “White House equities” appears to refer to any interest the administration might have in agency records. “White House equities” consultation already delayed the release, and allowed for improper Executive branch review, of documents to numerous requesters, including members of the media, Congress, and the public.
Executive Director Dan Epstein of Cause of Action, a government oversight organization, which recently sued a dozen cabinet agencies for documents regarding “White House equities,” said:
Public promises of transparency are no excuse for secret memos that prevent it. Americans deserve a government that is fair and open and delaying the release of documents prevents the ability of a free press to educate the public. Our hope is that President Obama honors the laws in place designed to provide transparency, such as the Freedom of Information Act, and withdraws this 2009 memo.
Executive Director of OpenTheGovernment.org Dr. Patrice McDermott said:
To put it simply, ‘White House equities’ is not a well-defined term. Not surprisingly, a policy based around protecting an ill-defined term can sow confusion among agency officials and the public, and make it very hard to know exactly the effect of the policy. In the interest of the unprecedented levels of openness in government committed to by the President, the White House needs to review this policy, and send agencies any additional guidance if needed.
The full list of signatories:
American Library Association
Brechner Center for Freedom of Information
Cause of Action
Center for Effective Government
Defending Dissent Foundation
Electronic Privacy Information Center – EPIC
Essential Information
Government Accountability Project – GAP
James Madison Project
MuckRock
National Security Archive
National Security Counselors
Northern California Association of Law Libraries
National Freedom of Information Center
OpenTheGovernment.org
PEN American Center
Project On Government Oversight – POGO
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility – PEER
Society of Professional Journalists
Special Libraries Association
The Sunlight Foundation
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse – TRAC
Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University
Washington Coalition for Open Government
Individual signatories (additional information for identification purposes only):
Mark Tapscott, Executive Editor, Washington Examiner
The letter can be found here.
About Cause of Action:
Cause of Action is a non-profit, nonpartisan government accountability organization that fights to protect economic opportunity when federal regulations, spending and cronyism threaten it. For more information, visit www.causeofaction.org.
About OpenTheGovernment.org:
OpenTheGovernment.org is a coalition of good- and limited- government groups, environmentalists, journalists, library and consumer groups, labor, and others united to make the federal government a more open place in order to ensure integrity and accountability in the operation of our governing institutions, foster confidence in representative government, and support our democratic principles. Our coalition transcends partisan lines and includes progressives, libertarians, and conservatives.
To schedule an interview with Cause of Action’s Executive Director Dan Epstein, contact Mary Beth Hutchins, mary.beth.hutchins@causeofaction.org
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