The Dems' Reactions to Trump's Iran Strikes Proves Again That They Can't Be...
Whose Side Are Democrats Really On?
Can the Left Ever Stop Its Craziness?
The Media Bombs With Its Coverage of the Iran Attack and Leaves Smoldering...
NYC Mayor's Race Watch: A Referendum on National Housing Policy?
A Wise and Frugal Government We Do Not Have, Nor a Virtuous One
Trump Did the Right Thing
There's Nobody to Talk to
The ‘First String’ Is Back in the Game
With Iran Destabilizing the Middle East, American Energy Is More Important Than Ever
Three Years Since Dobbs and the World’s Still Turning
The Senate Must Act to Bring College Costs Under Control
Three Years After Dobbs, the Result Is a Tale of Two Very Different...
One Big, Beautiful Bill: A Blueprint for America's Comeback
Hours After Trump Declares Ceasefire, Iran Denies Agreement, Blames Israel for Starting Wa...
Tipsheet

Obama Admin Sets Another Record for Withholding Information

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

“This is the most transparent administration in history." - President Obama, February 14, 2013

So claimed the 44th president during a Google Plus “Fireside” Hangout chat. Except, a new report from CBS News is calling his bluff. It turns out the Obama administration made history with the number of times it denied FOIA requests or "couldn't find" requested files.

Advertisement

For a second consecutive year, the Obama administration set a record for times federal employees told citizens, journalists and others that despite searching they couldn’t find a single page of files that were requested.

And it set records for outright denial of access to files, refusing to quickly consider requests described as especially newsworthy, and forcing people to pay for records who had asked the government to waive search and copy fees. (CBS News)

Oh, and the Obama White House spent a record (yep, another record!) $36.2 million on legal costs defending its refusal to turn over FOIA records, according to the Associated Press. 

The AP found more of the same back in 2015, when Obama first set a record for withholding FOIA requests. Over 700,000 requests were made that year, yet the White House "more than ever censored materials."

Advertisement

"It more than ever censored materials it turned over or fully denied access to them, in 250,581 cases or 39 percent of all requests," PBS wrote. "Sometimes, the government censored only a few words or an employee’s phone number, but other times it completely marked out nearly every paragraph on pages."

The Obama administration admitted that its stonewalling of requests was improper at least a third of the time.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement