Secrecy and FOIA

Former President Trump Wins Rosemary Award for Worst in Open Government in 2021

Washington, D.C., March 16, 2022 - Former President Donald J. Trump has the dubious honor of winning the National Security Archive’s infamous Rosemary Award for worst performance in open government in 2021; a remarkable achievement considering Trump was out of office for much of the year. During his time in office, Trump was widely reported to have both destroyed records and prevented their creation in the first place.

U.S. National Archives’ (NARA) Budget: The 30-Year Flatline

Washington, D.C., March 11, 2022 - The National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) budget has remained stagnant in real dollars for nearly thirty years. At roughly $320 million dollars when adjusted for inflation, its budget represents 0.0076% of the federal budget — this according to a National Security Archive Audit released today to mark the beginning of Sunshine Week.[1]  

President Trump May Have Violated Laws Protecting Government Property When He Destroyed, Removed Records, NGOs Assert

Washington, D.C., February 9, 2022 – The National Security Archive and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) have formally requested that the Justice Department and FBI investigate former President Donald Trump’s mutilation and destruction of presidential records as possible violations of federal criminal law.

The Capitol Riot: A Chronology

Washington, D.C., January 6, 2022 - The National Security Archive marks the one-year anniversary of the assault on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, with a meticulously researched timeline of the day's events. The chronology, which will serve as an important tool for investigators, researchers, and the public, is divided into three main parts:

The Kissinger Telcons: The Dobrynin File

Archive director discusses Kissinger telcons on NPR's All Things Considered, 27 May 2004 New Kissinger Telcons Released 26 May 2004 Kissinger Telcons on Chile Telcons Previously Released in Other Nixon Presidential Files A Side-by-Side Comparison of a Kissinger Telcon and a Nixon Tape of the Same Conversation Legal Documents This selection of documents focuses on one of the most important groups of documents in the newly released Kissinger telcons--the record of high-level diplomacy with

“Still Interested” Letters Add Insult to Injury of Long-Ignored FOIA Requests

Washington D.C., March 12, 2021 - The Defense Department finally replied to the National Security Archive’s September 2006 FOIA request early last year. After nearly 15 years of waiting, on January 24, 2020, the OSD/JS FOIA Office wrote:

“This pertains to your enclosed Freedom of Information Act request, which you submitted on September 26, 2006. We received your request on the same day and… regret the delay in completing your request.

The Capitol Riot: Documents You Should Read (Part 2)

Washington, D.C., March 3, 2021 - Video evidence presented by House impeachment managers during Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial shows just how close the violent mob came to physically confronting Vice President Mike Pence and Senators Mitt Romney and Chuck Schumer, and includes footage of the mob rifling through congressional desks and offices. The never-before-seen cell phone and surveillance footage, which members of Congress watched at the same time as the public, makes the Pentagon’s continued silence about its delay in sending in the D.C.

Lawsuit Saves Trump White House Records

Washington, D.C., February 11, 2021 – The National Security Archive et al. v. Donald J. Trump et al. lawsuit, filed December 1, 2020, to prevent a possible bonfire of records in the Rose Garden, achieved a formal litigation hold on White House records that lasted all the way through the transition and Inauguration Day, the preservation of controversial WhatsApp messages, and a formal change in White House records policy.

Rumsfeld Lacked Intel on Who The Enemies Were Two Years After Afghanistan Invasion, Newly Published "Snowflakes" Show

Washington, D.C., February 1, 2021 – On September 9, 2003, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wrote to Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Steve Cambone expressing concern about information from interrogations at military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan.