Roberts Backed Limits on FOIA and Its “Abuses”

· Story link

Chief Justice nominee John Roberts once suggested in a memo that the President delete a reference to “freedom of information” in a speech condemning the Soviet Union because any positive acknowledgement of the principle would be in conflict with White House efforts to limit the effectiveness of Freedom of Information Act. OMB Watch cited this comment in a Roberts’ critique of the proposed speech: “‘Freedom of information’ is of course a legal term of art, and we have, quite correctly, taken several steps to limit the scope and certain abuses of the Freedom of Information Act.” (9/7/05)