FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: Court will inspect Ukraine-related emails

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

Roger Stone Judge Orders White House to Turn Over Ukraine Emails Being Withheld from the Public

By Jerry Lambe, Law & Crime, May 13th, 2020

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has ordered the White House to turn over 20 emails directly relating to President Donald Trump’s decision to withhold congressionally appropriated military aid from Ukraine. The administration has refused to produce the communications thus far, claiming the documents are protected from public release by executive privilege.

The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, stems from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the New York Times which sought communications between Michael Duffey, Principal Associate Director for National Security Programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Robert Blair, a senior advisor to then-Acting White House Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney.

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