Trump Administration Can't Hide Jared Kushner-led Office From FOIA Requests, Watchdogs Claim in New Court Filing
Jessica Kwong, Newsweek, June 12, 2018
An attempt by the Trump administration to dismiss a lawsuit against its Jared Kushner–led Office of American Innovation (OAI) for failing to respond to public records requests is being challenged by two government watchdog groups.
Democracy Forward and Food & Water Watch filed a brief in a federal district court on Monday, opposing the administration’s motion to dismiss the nonprofit watchdogs’ February lawsuit against the office for ignoring Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
In its May motion, the administration claimed that the office—despite launching initiatives, implementing programs and imposing duties on government agencies—exists solely to advise President Donald Trump and therefore qualifies for a narrow exception from the rule that all executive branch offices are subject to FOIA.
Read more here.