FOIA and You: Tips, Tricks, and War Stories

Policy Forum

February 13, 2019 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST

Hayek Auditorium, Cato Institute

Featuring J. William Leonard, Former Director, Information Security Oversight Office; Nate Jones, Director of the Freedom of Information Act Project, National Security Archive; Jason Leopold, Investigative Reporter, BuzzFeed News; Josh Burday, Attorney, Loevy & Loevy; Colleen Murphy, Executive Director and General Counsel, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission; moderated by Patrick Eddington, Policy Analyst in Homeland Security and Civil Liberties, Cato Institute.

Since its passage over 50 years ago, the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has become a critical tool for citizens, journalists, lawyers, and advocacy organizations. It also has inspired state-level legislation that mirrors the original federal FOIA in promoting government transparency. FOIA has been used to expose waste, fraud, abuse, and even criminal conduct on the part of officials at the federal and state levels. It also has been used to help the public better understand the decision making process inside government, often over the objections of government officials. Join us for an event that will examine the history, uses, and challenges of employing FOIA at the federal and state levels with some of the leading experts in the field.