melissa nann burke

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant...” - Louis Brandeis

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The FEC just made it easier for super PAC donors to hide their identities

A divided Federal Election Commission cannot agree to investigate whether super PAC donors used corporations to mask their identities in the 2012 campaign.

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The Least Transparent Administration

The Wall Street Journal explains in an editorial how Team Obama stymies freedom of information requests.

No mention at yesterday’s hearing about how Congress itself is exempt from FOIA ... 

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"At a time when police departments around the country are being criticized for a lack of a transparency, the arrival of Legal Aid’s database represents a bold attempt to systematically track officers with a history of civil rights violations and other kinds of misbehavior, and thereby force judges, prosecutors, and juries to take the officers’ past actions into consideration when adjudicating cases."

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Emanuel’s first term has been frustrating, even infuriating, at times. … His administration has repeatedly resisted efforts by reporters to gain access to public records. … Team Emanuel is more about controlling information than sharing it with the public. We have the legal bills to prove it.”

Chicago Tribune in its endorsement of Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Friday

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Via @mikescarcella on Twitter

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From REUTERS: "The U.S.-led force in Afghanistan is to make recently classified data on the Afghan security forces available to the public after a U.S. government watchdog complained about undue secrecy surrounding reconstruction efforts."

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H/T @bykenarmstrong

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Fire rips through Brooklyn warehouse, destroying city and state records

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Judge Orders NYPD to Release Records on X-ray Vans

ProPublica tried to look into unmarked NYPD vans with X-ray machines designed to detect bombs, but the department refused to answer questions about the program for three years.

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"Permits cost up to $1,500, says Forest Service spokesman Larry Chambers, and reporters who don't get a permit could face fines up to $1,000."

[govtoversight-blog]

Dozens of inspectors general say federal agencies hindering oversight

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Forty-seven inspectors general issued the complaint in a letter to congressional oversight leaders.

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