Saturday, March 21, 2009

Holder rescinds Ashcroft-era FOIA guidelines

"A presumption of openness," is now supposed to guide federal agencies' responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Attorney General Eric Holder today sent a memo to agency heads that reverses FOIA guidelines that have been in place since Oct. 12, 2001. The Bush-era presumption, established by then-attorney general John Ashcroft, was that agencies should first assume that information should not be released -- and put most of the burden on the requester to prove otherwise.

Holder rescinds Ashcroft-era FOIA guidelines - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency

What a refreshing concept! An open government! Sunlight disinfects!


No comments: