Trump Administration's FOIA Cuts: Backlogs Rise Significantly

The Trump administration is making it harder to access public information through the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA. Backlogs are skyrocketing at key agencies. The Department of Energy reports over 2,200 requests stuck in limbo, up from 1,600 last year. The State Department's backlog jumped from 21,000 to more than 27,000 requests. Experts say the administration is under political pressure and has cut staffing in FOIA offices, worsening the situation. Brett Hartl from the Center for Biological Diversity rates the Trump administration's FOIA compliance an "F-triple-minus." He describes the process as a "tooth-pulling exercise" and shares that a simple request for a calendar took three to five years to process. Whistleblowers reveal that some agencies are rejecting requests outright, especially in immigration. The bottom line is that these delays affect everyone who relies on government transparency, making it more difficult to hold officials accountable and understand their actions.