Transparency & Accountability

Freedom of Information Act Reform

The Freedom of Information Act Congress enacted the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to ensure the public has an open and full accounting on how its government is operating. FOIA   Read Full

May 18, 2022

Records Preservation Reform

Government records are the records of the people and offer the public a direct look into government decision-making, which makes them deeply important to properly preserve. In the federal government’s   Read Full

February 24, 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

Clearview AI Subpoenas Open The Government for Communications with Journalists

[UPDATE: After OTG went public about the subpoenas from Clearview AI, the company withdrew its subpoenas on September 27, 2021.] The company demanded records after OTG exposed some law enforcement   Read Full

September 24, 2021

Washington Post Editorial Board Urges Biden to Implement Accountability 2021 Recommendations

Opinion: Biden must hold government accountable — starting with his own* President Donald Trump subjected the country to a four-year-long demonstration of the fragility of its democratic norms. President Biden has   Read Full

September 12, 2021

OTG Applauds House Passage of Legislation Supporting Bipartisan January 6 Commission

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to oppose the commission imperils the bill in the Senate. Lisa Rosenberg, Executive Director of Open The Government issued the following statement: “The U.S. House   Read Full

May 20, 2021

OTG Leads Coalition of 26 Organizations & Experts in Call for Classification Reform

Today, transparency, accountability, and human rights organizations and experts called on the Biden administration to take on national security classification reform ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11th   Read Full

April 21, 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

Virtual Briefing on the Freedom of Information Act, Challenges and Potential Fixes

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   Read Full

OTG Leads More than 30 Organizations in FOIA Advocacy Letters to Senate Judiciary and Attorney General Garland

Today, Open The Government led a coalition of more than 30 organizations urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing on the Freedom of Information Act, and Attorney General Merrick Garland   Read Full

April 7, 2021