MEETING REGARDING ABUSES OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT BY FOIA REQUESTERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000600330092-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2004
• Sequence Number: 92
• Publication Date: May 8, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2005/04/22 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600330092-9~~
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8 May 1978
OLC: 78-1257/1
SUBJECT: Meeting Regarding Abuses of the Freedom of
Information Act by FOIA Requesters
1. Mr. Gene F. Wilson, Chief/IPS, and I attended a
meeting regarding abuses of the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) by FOIA requesters from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
The meeting was held at the Secret Service offices at
1800 G. Street N.W., Washington, D.C. Agencies represented
besides the CIA. included the Secret Service, the FBI and
DEA. The purpose of this special meeting was to present
to Mr. Larry Finks, of the Senate Governmental Affairs
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations staff, views
as to what areas of. the current FOIA are in need of
revision due to public abuse.
2. Mr. Finks opened the meeting by stating that
Senator Sam Nunn (D., Ga.) who, although Vice Chairman
of the Subcommittee, is acting in Senator Henry
Jackson's (D., Wash.), Chairman, behalf due to
Senator Jackson's preoccupation with energy matters,
is very interested in holding hearings (either open or
executive) regarding abuses of the FOIA and the need for
remedial legislation.
3. It quickly became apparent as the meeting progressed
that Senator Nunn's interest is based primarily upon the
problems which the FOIA poses to law enforcement agencies,
particularly as this relates to their investigative functions.
In this regard, of course, the Agency is not concerned, as
we have no investigative responsibilities or law enforcement
functions.
4. Notwithstanding that fact, both
Wilson raised, at appropriate intervals, the following
Approved For Release 2005/04/22 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600330092-9
 Approved For Release 2005/04/22 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600330092-9
problems that the Agency has with the FOIA, even though
they are not at this moment the particular concern of
Senator Nunn's Subcommittee:
a. Possibility of total exemption for raw intelligence
data (various reasons and rationales cited).
b. Problem of unintentional misinforming of the U.S.
public due to the requirement for release of "segregable"
information.
c. Belief by various sources that information they
provide may/will be released under the FOIA. The FBI came
down very strongly on this point as well.
d. Agency held Congressional documents and need for
Congressional definition of what is and what is not a
Congressional document to clarify which, if any, may/should
be released by holding agencies (all agencies present with
exception of Secret Service chimed in affirmation on this
point).
e.: Administrative problems with the FOIA.
STAT
5. Although Mr. Finks indicated that the Senator
wanted to move on this issue, he added that the hopes
for major success at this time, although brighter than
ever before, are not overwhelming. Although Mr. Finks
spoke in terms of legislation he indicated, when asked
by myself, that they had no specific ideas in mind and
that, although they thought Representative Andrew
Maguire (D., N.J.) might carry the bill on the House side,
they had not, as yet, pushed the matter with him or anyone
else.
changes in the Freedom of Information ,Act.
6. Although nothing really concrete came from the
meeting, the Agency accrued benefit from it in that we
have sensitized another Congressional staffer (one very
favorable toward helping us with our problems) to the
issues that must be confronted in dealing with any remedial
Assistant Legislative Counsel
cc: C/IPS
Distribution: Orig-Addressee
1-OLC Subject
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OLC : 40I >rd F61 P2e1baa 2065104/22 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600330092-9