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ICE Tells Reporter Its Secretive Drone Program Isn't Newsworthy
v3rgEz writes Wondering how Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses drones along the border? ICE says you shouldn't be, declaring the topic "isn't news" anymore. The agency rejected a FOIA request fee waiver regarding Operation Safeguard because the program, started in secret 12 years ago, is no longer new. A March 3 letter signed by an ICE lawyer defined "news" as "information that is about current events or that would be of current interest to the public." Hard to see how the government's drone program, even if it is over a decade old, doesn't hold current interest, but maybe a useful example of what happens when you let agencies dictate what is — and isn't — news.
Of course it isn't newsworthy. Give it a decade. Once the entirety of the story has long since blown over, then they'll issue their official response.
A few months ago, the Treasury Department sent us 237 pages in its latest response to our requests regarding Iran trade sanctions. Nearly all 237 pages were completely blacked out, on the basis that they contained businesses' trade secrets. When was our request? Nine years ago.
That's how the government operates now. Just when you've completely forgotten about your FOIA request, they'll finally respond with hundreds of pages of fully redacted content, because they can't endanger old corporate trade secrets. What an excuse. They don't even bother playing the National Security card anymore, they straight up admit that business trumps all.
Sorry, can't give you any insight into how the government operates, it might jeopardize corporate profits!
Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
Today the White House shut down FOIA requests to the Office of Administration. Who might the Office of Administration be, you ask? Among other things they happen to archive emails.
Linky
Oh look, a useful idiot, still clutching to The Most Transparent Administration Evar
"The irony of this being Sunshine Week is not lost on me," said Anne Weismann of the liberal Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. "It is completely out of step with the president's supposed commitment to transparency," she said. "That is a critical office, especially if you want to know, for example, how the White House is dealing with e-mail."
Here is to electing Hillary — let's just go full retard and do ten more years of the Clintons. It'll be fun!
Guy files a FOIA request and asks for a fee waiver.
ICE responds and says sorry, that's about old new. No fee waiver.
Of course it's not current news. It's about a trial that started on the 29th of October 2003 and ended on the 12th of November 2003. A 15 day trial, 11 years ago.
They didn't deny the request, only denied the fee waiver.
The fees are: 10c per page, first 100 pages free.
First two hours free, then per 15 minutes it's between $7 and $10.25
Guy kicks up a fuss on his blog.
This guy has filed and had responded to over 300 FOIA requests, with the tax payer footing the bill.