Interior Watchdog Probing Political Appointees' Review Of FOIA Requests

"The Department of Interior’s internal watchdog confirmed in letters to two lawmakers that they will review the involvement of the agency’s top officials in crafting agency’s public records process which allows political appointees to review and potentially withhold documents from release.

“Our ongoing review will holistically examine the expanded [Freedom of Information Act] FOIA process, including the involvement of senior officials,” Interior’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) wrote in a letters reviewed by The Hill sent to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Interior's OIG has already acknowledged probes into several officials, but lawmakers have been eager to expand that scope."

Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill September 20, 2019.

Source: The Hill, 09/23/2019