Freedom of Information Law

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Freedom of Information Law

« January 2012

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Watchdog Group Sues FAA For Records On Domestic Drone Use

Jillian Rayfield | January 11, 2012, 10:42AM

A digital rights and civil liberties group has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, demanding that they release information on who is authorized to operate drones within the United States.

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Topics: Department Of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, Drones, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Federal Aviation Administration, Freedom of Information Law, Privacy

Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens FBI File Posted

Ryan J. Reilly | February 11, 2011, 10:50AM

Former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)

The FBI just posted the massive FBI file of the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).

From the FBI:

This release contains approximately 3,600 pages of responsive material; the majority of it--approximately 2,700 pages--consists of public source material from the media file associated with the pending "POLAR PEN" public corruption investigation of the FBI Anchorage Field Office.
The remainder of the release consists of 11 main files from the Anchorage and Washington Field Offices and from FBI Headquarters. The files include material on extortion threats to the senator, press reports and newspaper articles about public corruption, and correspondence between Stevens and the FBI.

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Topics: Alaska, Anchorage Daily News, Corruption, FBI, FOIA, Freedom of Information Law, Ted Stevens

Blackwater

Blackwater Contractors Want Closed Court During Appeal

Ryan J. Reilly | January 24, 2011, 10:50AM

private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Defense lawyers for five former Blackwater contractors who allegedly shot into a crowd during an incident in Baghdad's Al Nisur Square in 2007 want the press and the public excluded from oral arguments next month, Politico reports. The former contractors with the controversial firm are fighting to uphold a judge's dismissal of the case against them related to the attack, which left 14 Iraqis dead. The judge ruled the case should be thrown out because of missteps by prosecutors.

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Topics: Blackwater, Freedom of Information Law, Privacy, Xe, Xe Services

Ted Stevens

Photos Show Wreckage Of Ted Stevens Plane Crash

Ryan J. Reilly | December 21, 2010, 10:02AM

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, TPM obtained government reports on the plane crash that killed Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), which included these photos of the wreckage. Some have been published before, and some haven't. Several are available below.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: The Senator From Alaska: Ted Stevens' Political Career]

Much of the information included in the reports obtained by TPM were included in the Washington Post's comprehensive story of the plane crash, which included interviews with survivors of the accident. Selections from the preliminary report and follow up report on the crash -- which took place on Aug. 9 about 10 miles northeast of Aleknagik, Alaska -- are available here.

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Topics: Alaska, Aviation, Federal Aviation Administration, Freedom of Information Law, Plane Crash, Ted Stevens

'Ground Zero Mosque'

Conservative Watchdog Sues NYC Mayor Over Contact With Muslim Groups

Rachel Slajda | December 14, 2010, 9:45AM

Mayor Bloomberg speaks in support of the Park51 project in August 2010

The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed a petition with the New York State Supreme Court demanding that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg release all records of communication with the leader of the future Islamic community center in downtown Manhattan as well as a slew of other Muslim groups.

"Mayor Bloomberg's support for the Ground Zero mosque needs to be fully explored. New Yorkers are going to want to know how closely he's working with the radicals supporting the Ground Zero mosque," the president of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, said in a press release. "It is troubling that the Mayor's office cannot be bothered to comply with the open records law. What is the Mayor's office hiding?"