Coronavirus exacerbates backlogged FOIA transparency process

By Jerry Dunleavy

Published March 19, 2020 12:08am ET

Add Washington Examiner on Google

Coronavirus exacerbates backlogged FOIA transparency process — A worker from a Servpro disaster recovery team wearing a protective suit and respirator peers out a window as he waits to exit the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash. for a break from cleaning the facility, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, near Seattle. The nursing home is at the center of the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Washington state. | AP Photo / Ted S. Warren

The coronavirus is disrupting the nation’s already backlogged Freedom of Information Act process.

The FBI announced on Tuesday that, “due to the emerging COVID-19 situation, the FBI is not accepting electronic Freedom of Information / Privacy Act requests,” nor are they “sending out electronic responses” through their online portal until further notice. FOIA requests can still be mailed in. The FBI’s FOIA page apologizes for the “inconvenience.”

Print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Digital subscriber? Click here to login/register your account.

Full midterm coverage.Deeper analysis.

Get unlimited access to Washington Examiner's reporting, expert analysis, and coverage of the midterm elections.

Get Unlimited Access

Cancel anytime.

Tag:

COVID-19 FBI Freedom of Information Act