Whitehouse Stonewalls DSCOVR Information Request

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If you’re not interested in the issue of climate change, fine, but this story is as much about that as it is about a new ruling that further erodes your right to information from your government.

Digging up information on the cancellation of the DSCOVR climate satellite mission has been like pulling teeth. The dental work continued this week, this time with the Whitehouse.

Last month, I filed a Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) to the Office of Administration in Washington DC, asking for copies of any records โ€œrelating to the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission, formerly known as Triana, from the period January 1, 2000 to the present.โ€ (documents attached to the end of thisย post).

I then received this strange response from Whitehouse Deputy General Counsel F. Andrew Turley,ย stating:

โ€œPlease be advised that the Office of the Administration, Executive Office of the President is not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Your letter therefore is returned without further action.โ€

Strange.

I sent my letter to the Freedom of Information Act Officer for the Office of theย Administration.

Why would they have one if they are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act?
Also, have a look at this

Whitehouseย website:

It clearly states:

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) entities subject to the FOIAย are:

  • Council on Environmentalย Quality
  • Office ofย Administration
  • Office of Management andย Budget
  • Office of National Drug Controlย Policy
  • Office of Science and Technologyย Policy
  • United States Tradeย Representative

Then I received a call back from the Deputy General Counsel, saying that while this is confusing, the Office of the Administration is no longer subject to FOIA due to a โ€œrecent legalย determination.โ€

I sure Dick Cheney is very happy about that.

They still have a FOIA officer on staff, doing God knowsย what.

As more teeth come out, we will let you know.

Update: someone just sent this Washington Post article to us, seems we’re pretty justified in our outrage.
Here’s the previous stories we’ve done in our ongoing DSCOVR investigative series:

Part 1: theย background

Part 2: How politics conspired to kill DSCOVR

Part 3: Digging for answers from NASA

Part 4: FOIA, NASA, DSCOVR – my acronymย hell

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