Events

Ahead of the 20^th anniversary of the September 11^th terror attacks, Open The Government will host a roundtable on national security in an era of endless wars and overclassification that has paved the way for unnecessary government secrecy amid calls for checks and balances on executive war powers.

Spencer Ackerman, contributing editor, Daily Beast, and author of the new book, Reign of Terror: How The 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump, will moderate the event on Tuesday, August 31 at 11:30 a.m. with panelists:

• Hina Shamsi, Director, National Security Project, ACLU
• Emily Manna, Policy Director, Open The Government
• Maya Berry, Executive Director, Arab American Institute

Register for the roundtable here.

President Joe Biden has made strides in several areas related to accountability, including restoring ethics requirements, revoking harmful Trump administration orders, and reversing COVID-19 pandemic secrecy. As the clock winds down to his next 100 days in office, his administration has yet to make a substantive commitment to transparency and oversight. Will the delay set the tone for the remainder of his presidential term, even though he has promised to adhere to the “highest standard of transparency”?

Join us for a discussion on the ramifications of meaningful public transparency in the administration.

• Moderator: Adam Marshall, Senior Staff Attorney, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
• Jack Gillum, Senior Reporter, Pro Publica
• Anna Diakun, Staff Attorney, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
• Anne Weismann, Government Information Litigator, and former Chief FOIA Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington

Register here.
(Event URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B230Ok2nS6W3Akc8QB09BQ)

OTG hosted a panel discussion on the importance of the Freedom of Information Act as a mechanism to defend our democracy and empower the public. Presenters discussed the overall records request process, how records are withheld from the public and highlighted some of the recommendations to strengthen FOIA mapped out in Accountability 2021 for the Biden administration and Congress. 

OTG and Government Accountability Project hosted a Facebook Live as part of the week’s advocacy initiatives in support of the whistleblower protections mapped out in Accountability 2021 for the Biden administration and Congress.

Join Open The Government’s dynamic Sunshine Week discussion on Trump’s records and library.

Topic: The Trump Presidential Library? What Presidents Do to Keep Us from Knowing What Presidents Do featuring:

• Lisa Rosenberg, Executive Director, Open The Government
• Anthony Clark, Writer, former House Oversight Professional Staffer
• Ann Weismann, Government Information Litigator and former Chief FOIA Counsel, CREW
• Philip Kennicott, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Architecture Critic, The Washington Post

Register: media@openthegovernment.org