Blog

New Research Reveals How Law Enforcement Policies Restrict Transparency and Accountability

After a Minneapolis Police Department officer murdered George Floyd in May 2020, questions quickly arose about discrepancies between the police department’s incident report and eyewitness accounts. Bystander video and subsequent   Read Full

May 24, 2022

Law enforcement media relations polices

Open The Government obtained via public records requests the follow media relations policies from law enforcement agencies across the country. CA Highway Patrol – Ch1 HPM 90_1 CA Highway Patrol   Read Full

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the government’s administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Titled “The Freedom of Information Act: Improving   Read Full

April 19, 2022

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Records Preservation and Management

On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing that could have major implications for the country’s recordkeeping. Entitled, “Correcting the Public Record:   Read Full

March 15, 2022

OTG Leads Coalition Calling for a FOIA memo

Today, Open The Government led a coalition of more than 20 organizations once again urging the Department of Justice to release a memo on the Freedom of Information Act to strengthen agencies’   Read Full

January 31, 2022

Office of Special Counsel Holds HHS Accountable for its Illegal Gag Orders

Photo of the Health and Human Services Building

Washington – An investigation by the Office of Special Counsel found that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) broke federal law when it gagged its scientist during the   Read Full

December 13, 2021

Trump’s Latest Lawsuit Hinders Jan. 6 Accountability

On Monday, October 18, 2021, former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to block the release of records detailing his communications leading up to and during the January 6 attack   Read Full

October 26, 2021

Beyond Accolades: Garland’s Support for Transparency Should Mark New Era at the DOJ

Attorney General Merrick Garland championed the importance of the Freedom of Information Act in a video message to employees of the Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy during Sunshine   Read Full

April 8, 2021

Free Flow of Information Throughout Government Fosters Accountability

Guest Blog by Kathryn Foxhall, veteran reporter on federal health issues. Over the last 25 to 30 years there has been a surge in entities public and private prohibiting employees   Read Full

March 26, 2021

For Strong Pandemic Responses, Scientific Integrity Safeguards are Essential

Guest blog by Liz Borkowski, Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, George Washington University. One of the great success stories of the Biden administration’s first months is the fact that more   Read Full

March 24, 2021