Obama Expands Access to Federal Government Information

On January 21, President Obama reportedly signed an executive order (unofficial versions at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrderPresidentialRecords/ and http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20090121/2009_PRA_EO.pdf ) expanding access to presidential records in the possession of the National Archives.  This order revokes former President Bush’s Executive Order No. 13233 of November 1, 2001, which had given former U.S. presidents, vice presidents, and their heirs broad authority to block public access, on the ground of executive privilege, to presidential or vice presidential records administered by the National Archives.  See the report from the Chronicle of Higher Education.  Mr. Obama also signed a memorandum (unofficial version at http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20090121/2009_FOIA_memo.pdf) directing federal agencies to employ “a spirit of cooperation” and a presumption of “openness” in responding to Freedom of Information Act requests.  See the report at Editor & Publisher.

Robert Richards