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> From: "Sardar" <sar...@spiritone.com> > Date: July 3, 2010 7:45:02 PM PDT > To: "Sardar" <recon1968br...@yahoo.com> > Subject: Emails: Pentagon Colludes with Congressional Offices before > Releasing Documents on Congressional Military Travel | Judicial Watch > > > Emails: Pentagon Colludes with Congressional Offices before Releasing > Documents on Congressional Military Travel > a.. View > b.. Discussion > Documents Uncovered by Judicial Watch > Contact Information: > Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305 > > Washington, DC -- July 1, 2010 > Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes > government corruption, announced today that it has uncovered emails from the > Department of Defense (DOD) that indicate the Pentagon worked hand-in-hand > with congressional offices prior to releasing documents regarding > congressional military travel under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). > These "heads up" emails involved FOIA requests filed by Judicial Watch, The > Wall Street Journal, Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call, among other > organizations, related to the use of military aircraft by a number of > congressional members, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. > > The Pentagon emails uncovered by Judicial Watch provided advanced > notification to congressional offices regarding which organizations issued > FOIA requests, when documents would be released and, in many cases, the > emails included the actual documents to be released as attachments. Moreover, > the emails, primarily sent from the DOD's Office of General Counsel, also > indicate that Pentagon staff contacted congressional offices by phone. > > The following is an excerpt from a November 17, 2009, Pentagon email to > Wyndee Parker, National Security Advisor to Speaker Pelosi, related to a > Judicial Watch FOIA request: > > Subject: Judicial Watch FOIA to DoD re: Speaker Travel > > Hey Wyndee, > > We are preparing a release responsive to the Judicial Watch FOIA request > attached. > > I have put all Speaker Pelosi related travel docs on a CD and will send this > in the LA [Legislative Affairs] run today or tomorrow > > The package will be under your name and will go to H232 if that works. Please > let me know. > > As always, the documents are for your office use only as there may be > additional redactions made. > > Please call if you have any questions. > > > In some cases, the Pentagon provided assurances to congressional staffers > regarding whether or not the documents released contained sensitive > information. For example, in a December 9, 2009, email to Mark Lopez, Chief > of Staff for Congressman Peter Visclosky (D-IN), the DOD staffer writes: "CQ > appears to be trolling for something to write re: your boss. I do not see > much here, but I don't know the reporter's agenda. There will be additional > releases on this request. I will give you a heads up on those too." Another > Pentagon staffer notes in a November 9, 2009, email to the House Foreign > Affairs Committee, "I don't find any of the documents especially newsworthy, > but wanted you to have them before they go out." > > Additional email correspondence from senior staff with the House Intelligence > Committee voiced objections to the Pentagon's refusal to redact the names of > congressional staffers from documents released and requested the opportunity > to review redacted material before release. It looks as if, in some cases, > documents on military junkets were released to individual members of Congress > months before they were released to the public. > > "Why is the Pentagon colluding with congressional offices on FOIA requests? > There is absolutely no reason why politicians should have the ability to > preview FOIA documents before they are released to the American people. These > insider notification emails to Congress are inappropriate and should be > stopped immediately," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. > > Judicial Watch obtained these Pentagon emails as part of its comprehensive > investigation of congressional military travel. Previously, Judicial Watch > uncovered internal Pentagon email correspondence detailing attempts by > Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi's numerous requests for military escorts > and military aircraft as well as the speaker's last minute cancellations and > changes. Judicial Watch also uncovered documents indicating that House > Speaker Pelosi's military travel cost the United States Air Force > $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period, including $101,429 for in-flight > expenses. > > Documents Uncovered > a.. Part 1 > b.. Part 2 > c.. Part 3 > d.. Content regarding Judicial Watch > Bookmark/Search this post with: > a.. > b.. > c.. > d.. > e.. > f.. > g.. > h.. > i.. > j.. > a.. accountability > b.. AirPelosi > c.. CODEL > d.. congress > e.. Dept of Defense > f.. FOIA > g.. pelosi > h.. Pentagon > i.. transparency > a.. Printer-friendly version > b.. Add new comment > http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2010/jul/emails-pentagon-colludes-congressional-offices-releasing-documents-congressional-milit >
