New Head of FOIA Office Appointed

[Robbien]

Source: Statesman

By Rebecca Carr | Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 04:50 PM

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales tapped a career Justice Department lawyer today to run the Office of Information and Privacy—the office in charge of deciding who gets public information requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Melanie Ann Pustay replaces Daniel J. Metcalfe, who directed the office for 24 years with Richard Huff before he retired in January. Huff retired the year before.

. . .

The FOIA Guide, long considered the bible of how to use the law, was completed last fall, right down to 4,119 footnotes. It was sent to the Government Printing Office on Nov. 28 marked “ready for publication.”

The plan was to begin distributing the guide in mid-December, but an official from the department’s civil division placed a “hold” on publishing the report for mysterious reasons. Justice Department employees suspected it had to do with politics.

. . .

“Melanie (Pustay) ought to find some better way to spin the position she’s now in with the guide, not to mention the Department’s shocking executive order deficiencies and timing problems within the bounds of truthfulness,” said Metcalfe in an earlier interview with Cox.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/washington/washington/entries/2007/04/10/new_head_of_foi.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Did NOT know Alberto Gonzalez has been the one overseeing FOIA requests.

How many people remember reading recently on some DU'ers thread that they have destroyed so many documents there in the recent past, that if you were to stack them in a pile, it would be taller than the Capitol Building.

You may also remember hearing before that, that the _Bush administration has RECLASSIFIED a lot of documents which have been accessible to the American public for years.

Not to mention his smooth move (under Gonzalez' guidance) as soon as he stole the Presidency, to make ALL records from Clinton and his father, as well as his own off limits to the public.

I presume he wants to be safely in residence at his new rancho in Paraguay by the time those records are opened.

http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps9890/lps9890/www.usdoj.gov/ag/foia.htm

[hang a left]

2. Yep ...

Judi Lynn, I remember all of that.

Wonder about those "retirements" as well.

You always call it as you see it, and I love your saying...

"stupidest mfers on the planet"

You are the best!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Melanie Ann Pustay

Start searching....

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. her mother?

is this the same Melanie Ann mentioned here?
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lbpustay.htm

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. This one

doesn't like handing things out.

http://cryptome.org/doj-footshot2.htm

[Miss Chybil]

4. I call BULLSHIT!

Our country gets more bannana-y and more republic-y everyday.

[notadmblnd]

7. a hider of information? a couple of interesting things

Melanie Ann Pustay replaces Daniel J. Metcalfe, who directed the office for 24 years with Richard Huff before he retired in January. Huff retired the year before.

Pustay arrived in the department in 1983 as an attorney advisor. However, she recently came under fire for failing to publish the FOIA Guide on time.

That criticism did not deter Gonzales

http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/2007/04/new-foia-office-head-appointed.html

and.....
snip:
The news organization I work for routinely reports on Justice Department activities in several magazines and newspapers. Nevertheless, DOJ decided that I am no longer a representative of the news media. As a result, they declined to process our request without our payment of hundreds or thousands of dollars in search fees. Under the FOIA law, reporters should not be charged any search or review fees.

I found out soon afterward what had happened. A small office in DOJ called the Office of Information and Privacy runs training seminars for government FOIA managers in a variety of agencies. At one training session in November, 2001, the question came up of how to handle troublesome requests, including my request for legislative weekly reports to the Attorney General. The DOJ representative said that they were going to deny my status as a representative of the news media, despite the fact that I work full time for a national news organization and actively cover agency matters.

snip:
The Justice Department is now considering spreading this technique of hiding government documents to other agencies. If it is not halted now, this approach could keep reporters from learning about the activities of the government. This matter is too important to keep within the confines of a newsroom.

Apparently these documents which I requested are highly embarrassing or sensitive, since they are taking such extraordinary steps to prevent their release.

snip:
THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS WEEKLY REPORTS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE YEARS XXXX - XXXX. (as of last month, they had these reports going back at least 15 years)

to:

Office of Legislative Affairs -- Requests for Office of Legislative Affairs records should be addressed to:

Melanie Ann Pustay, Deputy Director
Office of Information and Privacy
Suite 570, Flag Building
Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20530-0001

PHONE: 202: 514-FOIA
FAX: [phone]

What lobbying activities are described in these reports that the Justice Department is willing to go to such great lengths to hide?

SECOND, you can contact the Office of Information & Privacy and ask them why they are squelching the release of these records.

If you would like any further information, you can contact me at 202-828-0328. I will provide copies of the relevant correspondence upon request to anyone from a newsroom or public interest or advocacy organization.

http://cryptome.org/doj-footshot.htm
http://cryptome.org/doj-footshot2.htm


I cant find anything on her background exceot she was born in 1957. Was interested in learning what school she attended.

[struggle4progress]

8. KnR: they're moving into lockdown mode