FOIA News: DOL releases contractors’ demographic data

Feds publish contractors’ workforce demographic data in response to FOIA request

The release contains information on more than 19,000 businesses.

By Ginger Christ, HRDIVE, Apr. 19, 2023

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) released information Monday on the race and ethnicity, gender and job categories of workers at federal contractors and first-tier subcontractors. 

The data was made available as the result of Freedom of Information Act requests — and a subsequent lawsuit — by the not-for-profit Center for Investigative Reporting news organization for Type 2 Consolidated EEO-1 reports from 2016 through 2020 for federal contractors with 50 or more employees and more than one location. 

The OFCCP released information on 19,289 businesses that did not submit objections to having their data shared. Companies were given several opportunities to object and had until March 31 to contest the release of their information. 

Read more here.

FOIA News: FBI must process request re: NSBA letter

FBI ordered to release documents about bureau's response to NSBA letter

By Jeremiah Poff, Wash. Exam’r, Apr. 17, 2023

The FBI must comply with a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records about the bureau's response to a 2021 letter from the National School Boards Association that labeled parent protesters domestic terrorists, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled.

In the four-page order, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said last week that the Department of Justice had "dragged its feet" in responding to a FOIA request filed by the government watchdog group Protect the Public's Trust that sought records from the FBI and other DOJ entities about their response to a September 2021 letter from the NSBA that requested the Biden administration and the DOJ investigate protests and threats against school board members under federal domestic terrorism laws.

Read more here.

See case docket and orders here.

FOIA News: CIA issues updated FOIA regulations

Following a public comment period last year, the Central Intelligence Agency has finalized amendments to its Freedom of Information Act regulations. The amendments, which are set forth in a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published on April 17, 2023. are effective immediately.

FOIA News: FOIA presentation on April 20

On April 20, 2023, the Omaha News Academy of Flatwater Free Press is sponsoring a 90-minute FOIA presentation entitiled “Freedom of Information Act: Challenges, Opportunities and Tips.” The presenters are Sara Gentzler, a reporter for Flatwater Free Press in Omaha, and Carol Zuegner, a journalist and Creighton University professor. Additional details available here.

FOIA News: Attorney concedes error; refiles new suit

MoneyGram Atty Refiles As Plaintiff After CFPB Rips FOIA Suit

By Anna Bongardino, Law360, Apr. 14, 2023

A Vinson & Elkins partner representing MoneyGram in a records request suit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has dropped the company's suit and launched a new complaint naming himself as the plaintiff in response to the agency's argument in its dismissal bid that the request was filed by the money services giant's attorney instead of the company itself.

Read more here (access with free subscription).

FOIA News: Coalition of media companies sues for Jan. 6 tapes given to Fox News' Tucker Carlson

Coalition of media companies sues for Jan. 6 tapes given to Fox News' Tucker Carlson

By Megan Lebowitz, NBC News, Apr. 12, 2023

A coalition of nine media companies, including CNN, The New York Times and Politico, have sued for copies of the surveillance videos from the Capitol riot that Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave exclusively to Fox News.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, the media companies demanded that the Justice Department's Office for U.S. Attorneys and the FBI "promptly" provide copies of the footage from Jan. 6, which they characterized as "the most significant assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812."

Read more here.

FOIA News: Pfizer and Moderna are FOIA Targets

FOIAengine Reveals Plaintiffs’ Lawyers, Anti-Vaxxers in the Hunt

By John A. Jenkins, Law Street, Apr. 5, 2023

Who might be contemplating getting a jump on Covid litigation once the moratorium expires?  This week, FOIAengine takes a look at some who are bombarding the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies with Freedom of Information Act document demands about Pfizer and Moderna.  There are so many noteworthy FOIA demands that we’ll return to this again next week. 

Read more here.

FOIA News: Reporters Committee Sunsets iFOIA Platform

We’re sunsetting iFOIA. Here’s what you need to know.

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Apr. 5, 2023
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press created iFOIA in 2013 to provide people a simpler way to create, file, and manage FOIA requests. We’re proud to share that since its creation, thousands of users have filed more than 11,000 public record requests and exchanged tens of thousands of communications with government agencies through iFOIA.

…

We’re not software developers or engineers — we’re attorneys, and the need for legal services is only growing.
For that reason, the Reporters Committee is sunsetting iFOIA as of August 2023. No new requests can be submitted as of April 30, 2023.

…

We will send you a monthly reminder about the retirement, through July, and iFOIA will be retired in August. If you have any questions about this process, please email ifoia@rcfp.org.

FOIA News: CFPB Says MoneyGram Can't Sue Over FOIA Its Atty Filed

CFPB Says MoneyGram Can't Sue Over FOIA Its Atty Filed

By Jon Hill, Law360, Apr. 4, 2023

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has moved for dismissal of a MoneyGram International Inc. lawsuit accusing the agency of stonewalling a potentially damaging public records request, telling a D.C. federal court that the money services giant can't sue over a request that it didn't itself file.

Read more here (subscription).

See copy of complaint here.

See copy of the request here.

FOIA News: Chief FOIA Officers Council to meet 4/25

Virtual meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council

DOJ/OIP, FOIA Post, Mar, 28, 2023

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) is pleased to announce that the Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 PM EST.     

The CFO Council meeting is open to all agency FOIA professionals and members of the public.  Time will be provided for members of the public to address the Council.  Registration is required on Eventbrite if you wish to provide oral comments.  All attendees must register by 11:59pm (EST) on Sunday, April 23, 2023.  The meeting will also be livestreamed on the National Archives' YouTube channel. 

In accordance with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, the Chief FOIA Officers Council is tasked with developing recommendations, sharing best practices, and developing and coordinating initiatives to improve agency FOIA administration.  The Council is co-chaired by the Directors of OIP and OGIS and is comprised of each agency Chief FOIA Officer and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management Budget.

Do you have ideas for future meeting topics and potential panelists?  Please email us at DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov.