Interior watchdog investigating political appointees' review of FOIA requests

By Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, Sep. 20, 2019

The Department of Interior’s internal watchdog confirmed in letters to two lawmakers that they will review the involvement of the agency’s top officials in crafting agency’s public records process which allows political appointees to review and potentially withhold documents from release.

“Our ongoing review will holistically examine the expanded [Freedom of Information Act] FOIA process, including the involvement of senior officials,” Interior’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) wrote in a letters reviewed by The Hill sent to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Grijalva requested an investigation earlier this month of Interior’s Supplemental Awareness Review process, citing evidence that it resulted in inappropriate delays and the removal of entire documents from being released, while Wyden had asked for an investigation into Daniel Jorjani, one of the architects behind the policy, who Wyden says may have lied to Congress about it.

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