FBI Has Government’s Worst FOIA Performance

The National Security Archive at Georgetown George Washington University today announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation won its annual award for worst Freedom of Information Act performance by a federal agency.  The FBI has apparently been unable to find records in response to two-thirds of the FOIA requests it’s received over the past four years.  Other agencies can’t find records on average only 13 percent of the time.

“The FBI knowingly uses a search process that doesn’t find relevant records,” said Archive Director Tom Blanton, in a statement today. “Not only does this woeful performance lead to unnecessary litigation, but the Bureau apparently uses the same searches in its criminal investigations as well.”

Here’s more on the FBI’s dismal FOIA performance from the National Security Archive.