Executive Order Designed to "Forestall" FOIA Reform, Retired OIP Director Says

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The recently retired director of the Justice Department’s Office of Information and Privacy says that the President’s 2005 executive order to agencies to improve their Freedom of Information Act performance was designed to “forestall” congressional action on FOIA reform legislation that had been introduced. Dan Metcalfe also said in an interview with Tony Mauro of the Legal Times that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has politicized the office line no other AG in the last 30 years in the department. “Nothing compares to the past two years.” (4/17/07)