Justice Dept. proposes lying, hiding existence of records under new FOIA rule

The Daily Caller ^ | 10/24/11 | C.J. Ciaramella

[Nachum]

A proposed revision to Freedom of Information Act rules would allow federal agencies to lie to citizens and reporters seeking certain records, telling them the records don’t exist.

The Justice Department has proposed the change as part of a large revision of FOIA rules for federal agencies. Specifically, the rule would direct government agencies who are denying a request under an established FOIA exemption to “respond to the request as if the excluded records did not exist,” rather than citing the relevant exemption.

The proposed rule has alarmed government transparency advocates across the political spectrum, who’ve called it “Orwellian” and say it will “twist” public access to government.

In a public comment regarding the rule change, the ACLU, along with Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and OpenTheGovernment.org, said the move “will dramatically undermine government integrity by allowing a law designed to provide public access to government information to be twisted to permit federal law enforcement agencies to actively lie to the American people.”

[Nachum]

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice

[Smokin' Joe]

Just hiding the gunrunning other agencies wouldn’t hide...

[Nachum]

The list, ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[edpc]

This is beyond Orwellian. A new category must be made: Obamian.

[HiTech RedNeck]

What a pickle, with even the ACLU seemingly threatening to bolt on the Rats.

[rolling_stone]

It appears Obama wants a Revolution.

[Cheerio]

It appears Obama wants a Revolution.

Won't happen. We are not the same culture that we were back in the 40s and 50s. We have already lost so many liberties that the revolution should have started a few years back.

[maine-iac7]

They truly do see themselves as hampered by the Constitution, the Congress, our laws - and are and will continue to ignore/circumvent them and RULE, not govern.

Can our country survive another year?

Will there even BE an election?

If anyone is still suffering under the illusion that this CICINO and his illegal czars would not declare an emergency requiring Martial Law - thereby giving them total control for 6 months - and cancel the elections - then they/we/you are dangerously naive.

It has happened in civilizations throughout history. It CAN happen here.

[kalee]

unreal

[Cheerio]

“We don't need no stinkin’ Constitution or laws - we are in such a mess I am gonna have to fix this by myself, and just ignore the GOP run Congress”. /s

[lwoodham]

Now that right there is a good bureaucracy to get rid of. The department of Justice does more harm than good. Just kill it along with the EPA and the dept of education.

[Baynative]

Now who were those republicans who voted for Eric Holder, again?

[shibumi]

And just what makes anyone think they haven't been doing that already?

[The_Reader_David]

Are they sure they really want to do this? Under the proposed rules the denial of a FOIA request for Obama's birth certificate would be prima facia evidence of its nonexistence. (^_^)

[Texas Fossil]

“To market official truth so at variance with reality, or engineer consent to policies that mock American Values, government must so thoroughly misinform the public as to poison the wellspring of Democracy.”

“The Rockets Red Glare” by Richard J Barnet (1990)

[maine-iac7]

The Press isn't going to like this - even the ACLU is up in arms.

Hopefully, this or another action will finally be that straw that breaks the camels back - that one step too far even for his sycophants, who will finally understand that THEY are not safe either - that despots will turn on anyone, loyal to no one...but themselves.

[SpaceBar]

I’d like to see a candidate promise, that if elected, they’ll do everything in their power as President to put Obama in prison.

[Nachum]

I’d like to see a candidate promise, that if elected, they’ll do everything in their power as President to put Obama in prison.

And every slime that is connected to him.

[CatDancer]

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice

Amen.

And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

[papertyger]

This administration has utterly destroyed any faith I had in the Republican Party.

If they can tolerate what this administration has perpetrated, they can commit it themselves.