Now the CIA decides what we should read? [View All]

CIA Claims the Right
to Decide What is News

Archive Sues to Break FOIA
Fee Barrier for Journalists

For more information contact:
Meredith Fuchs/Thomas Blanton - 202/994-7000
Patrick J. Carome, 202-663-6000

Documents

Complaint
National Security Archive v. Central Intelligence Agency, filed 14 June 2006

Opinion
U.S. Court of Appeals in re: National Security Archive v. U.S. Department of Defense, decided 28 July 1989

Memorandum and Order
U.S. District Court in re: National Security Archive v. Central Intelligence Agency, filed 30 January 1990




Washington D.C., 14 June 2006 - The National Security Archive today filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), challenging the Agency's recent practice of charging Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) fees to journalists pursuing news. The FOIA says that "representatives of the news media" can be charged only copying fees since they help to carry out the mission of the law by disseminating government information; but the CIA last year began claiming authority to assess additional fees if the Agency decides any journalist's request is not newsworthy enough. In adopting this new practice, the CIA reversed its prior 15-year practice of presumptively waiving additional fees for news media representatives, including the National Security Archive.

"The CIA takes the position that it should decide what is 'news' instead of the reporters and editors who research and publish the stories," explained attorney Patrick J. Carome of the law firm Wilmer Hale, who is representing the Archive. "If the CIA succeeds in exercising broad discretion to charge additional fees to journalists, despite the plain language of the law, then too often we will find out only what the government wants us to know."