Watchdog: ‘Are there bad actors at these agencies that are willfully ignoring the law?’
Documents sought under the Freedom of Information Act were withheld by the Interior Department under a practice that allowed political appointees to review the requests, internal emails and memos show.
The policy allowed high-ranking officials to screen documents sought by news organizations, advocacy groups and whistleblowers, including files set to be released under court deadlines. In some cases, the documents’ release was merely delayed. In other cases, documents were withheld after the reviews.
CQ Roll Call first reported on the “awareness review” policy in May, but a new trove of emails show documents were plucked from release following the screenings.