I’m tracking three FOIA lawsuits involving the TARP (using Bloomberg Law, and Googlebots):
- Bloomberg L.P. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
- Fox News Network, LLC v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
- Fox News Network, LLC v. United States Department of the Treasury
In the first case, there is a motion for summary judgment — this might come to an amicable end, itf the parties can compromise on terms of disclosure.
The second case has the Fed writing out Vaughn Indexes — explaining what they can’t tell the plaintiff.
The third case has the Treasury Department saying that they are in the process of complying with the original request, but that they are backed up now, and there are many sub-departments to co-ordinate. Just wait your turn, and there will be many blacked-out documents for Fox News Network to review.
I write this partly because I wonder whether the Obama Administration will create an open culture with respect to disclosure of data from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury. My guess is no, because once someone is in power, they tend to reflect the interests of those who were in power. But, I can hope, and remember, hope is audacious!
I will continue to track these cases, and will report as biggish things happen.
