JW Statement on Court’s Decision to Grant a One-Year Stay on Releasing Hillary Clinton’s White House Telephone Records

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that a federal court judge issued a May 20 ruling that granted a stay to the National Archives and Records Administration, which will allow the agency to withhold Hillary Rodham Clinton’s White House telephone log books from the American people for at least one year [Judicial Watch, Inc. v U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Case No: 1:07-cv-1267 (JR)]. The court had previously allowed Judicial Watch to conduct discovery with regard to how the National Archives processes open records requests related to the Clinton Presidential Library.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton offered the following statement in response:

“Federal law requires these documents be turned over to the American people within 20 days unless an agency presents evidence demonstrating why it should be allowed additional time. The Clinton Library took nearly two years before providing any documents to us. It is as simple as that. Our lawyers argued to the court that the Clinton Library failed to meet its substantial burden in requesting yet more time to produce the remainder of the records we requested.

“This is not about who gets their requests for records handled first, but whether an agency can violate the Freedom of Information Act with impunity.

“It is unacceptable for the American people to be told they will not receive the additional information about Hillary Clinton, to which they are legally entitled, because Archivists are ‘overworked.’

“The Archives processed requests for information about UFOs, while refusing to process requests for important information about a presidential candidate and U.S. Senator. This delay benefits no one but bureaucrats who refuse to do their jobs and politicians running for office.”

For more information on Judicial Watch’s pursuit of Hillary’s White House records, please visit www.judicialwatch.org. Copies of the initial complaint filing and the opposition to the National Archives motion for stay are attached.