Obama’s Labor Department Ignores Freedom of Information Act
by Don LoosOn Friday, 20 November 2009, The National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation (Foundation) decided enough was enough and filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court demanding that they compel the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to comply with the Foundation’s April 6th Freedom of information Act (FOIA) request.
The Foundation’s FOIA requested:
- Records from communications and recorded events where specified Obama appointees and Big Labor official were present
- Lists of lawsuits involving the Department of Labor and Deborah Greenfield within the past eight years.
- List of any gifts received by Solis in the past 5 years from Big Labor or its officials
- Specifically provide in detail (a) notes, (b) agreements, (c) communications, and (d) agendas related to the regulations related to the labor union and officer disclosure rules
- Copies of phone logs
- Copies of any notes or documents related to any enforcement of any labor laws and any outside groups such as labor unions, American Rights at Work, or ACORN
Obama’s Labor Department Ignores His Transparency Guidance
Remember January 21, 2009, when President Barack Obama proclaimed the new era of more open and transparent government began? This U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy memorandum is a good reminder:
On his first full day in office, January 21, 2009, President Obama issued a memorandum to the heads of all departments and agencies on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The President directed that FOIA “should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.” Moreover, the President instructed agencies that information should not be withheld merely because “public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.”
Agencies were directed to respond to requests “promptly and in a spirit of cooperation.” The President also called on agencies to “adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure” and to apply that presumption “to all decisions involving [the] FOIA.” This presumption of disclosure includes taking “affirmative steps to make information public,” and utilizing “modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by their Government.”
(For more information about FOIA, visit the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy.)
Under any reading of the this memorandum, DOL is not following Obama’s orders. Why?…
DOL Gifts of Secrecy to Big Labor Bosses
So far, Obama’s Labor Department has rescinded regulations that required union bosses to disclose their forced-union-dues financed perks. The Obama Labor Department established an official policy of ignoring a regulation that requires disclosure of union boss conflict of interests. The Obama Labor Department set aside a court decision that would have provided teachers and other public employees much needed transparency; transparency teacher union bosses have fought since 2003.
As a long time political friend of Big Labor Bosses, Secretary Solis’ actions and many others came as no surprise to The National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation, which sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in April to the Department of Labor (see video below).
Solis is not only a close friend of Big Labor who voted for every union boss supported bill in congress; she was a treasurer for a Big Labor front group known as American Rights At Work (ARAW). In addition, the Labor Department now employs the radical former ARAW Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell as a senior advisor to Solis.
But, the Foundation’s FOIA was not limited to Secretary Solis and her activities; it included a request for more information about the comings-and-goings of AFL-CIO lawyer and Obama appointee Deborah Greenfield. Greenfield cruised the halls of the Labor Department months before the Obama Administration officially began.
In her position on the Obama Organizing America Transition Team, Greenfield appears to have mapped out a plan to repeal regulations, ignore regulations, and stop court cases that undermine workers and benefit union bosses.
One Greenfield’s more shocking conflict-of-interest involves a lawsuit where Greenfield is one of the AFL-CIO’s named attorneys. The case formerly called AFL-CIO v. Chao, now AFL-v. Solis, is an attempt by Greenfield and the AFL-CIO to stop union boss conflict-of-interest reporting. And was has happened to the lawsuit since Greenfield has been at DOL? DOL made a side agreement (Joint Motion To Stay Proceedings) with the AFL-CIO to hold the suit until DOL has time to rescind the union boss conflict-of-interest report. Apparently, the Obama Administration sees no ethical dilemma here.
During January, Greenfield was one of only two Obama appointees at DOL; she reportedly assumed the role of the Secretary of Labor during this time. She was Executive Secretariat Director at the time.
Now, Greenfield remains Executive Secretariat Director while simultaneously serving as Acting Deputy Solicitor of Labor. With the Solicitor of Labor position unfilled, Greenfield is the defacto Solicitor of Labor as well.
From her current positions, Greenfield, read Big Labor Bosses, can influence every significant action that the DOL takes. Her positions provide her more than enough departmental power to shutdown the Foundation’s FOIA that remains unfulfilled. Hardly the most ethical administration Obama promised. It may even be time to FOIA Greenfield actions at DOL regarding her activities involving the Foundation’s original FOIA.
Clearly there is not transparency at here. Obama’s DOL has failed to fulfill his transparency directive. Its secretive behavior adds to the continuing failures of this Administration and Congress to comply with transparency and openness. It is likely there will be more fall out as seen after the Recovery Act documents were released. This Administration needs to be pushed to play by the rules and it is good to see groups like The National Right To Work Foundation and Rep. Darrel Issa and others finally begin to hold this Administration accountable.
To paraphrase Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. There need to be more FOIA suits and other lawsuits that challenge this Administration’s trampling of the Administration Procedure Act.
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56 Comments
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by DRIP USA, AZ grassroots. AZ grassroots said: Obama’s Labor Department Ignores Freedom of Information Act http://bit.ly/08VpJGd #dripusa #ocra #tcot [...]
Don't expect much from the FOIA request. The DOL and Obama's administration have too much to hide and will fight or ignore the requests. The law means nothing to this administration.
Why wouldn't the Obama Administration ignore the Freedom of Information Act? They ignore everything else…..
"We won, now bend over and take it."
Yup, perfectly transparent.
Surprised? Shouldn't be! Words and deeds! Ignore the words and pay close attention to the deeds. Obama and his crew routinely say one thing and the result is typically the opposite. Take "employee free choice act" as a prime example.
The best we can do is to continually spotlight the hypocrasy and sooner hopefully than later people will wake up.
Just a guess, but my bet is that they're ignoring the FOI request because it would disclose relationships that constitute conflicts of interest and actions that amount to corruption. Like I said, just a guess.
That which is transparent, is the constant flow of administration deceiving and shameless lies.
Thank goodness this administration is totally incompetent — and transparent — as a wanna-be corrupt tryanny.
Chris matthews would have been screaming bloody murder by now under bush – tell me I’m lying !!!!!!
Huh, apparently his administration is the most transparent in history.
http://www.cafepress.com/rightwingstuff
I love The National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation , an they will get what they ask for, or supreme court they go.
Most corrupt president and administration in the history of the United States.
If this was a third world country who had oil, we would invade them.
Is there any good in this administration?
In the end, they will lose.
Whatever happened to transparency?
Where's our esteemed AG, Eric Holder? Oh, right. He's busy holding Obamao's water and getting ready to take a dive if KSM gets off on a technicality.
Paging Glenn Beck!
When SNL has got your number as a joke and a failure as a president, you're down the tubes.
http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/wil...
When SNL has got your number as a joke and a failure as a president, you're down the tubes.
http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/wil...
When SNL has got your number as a joke and a failure as a president, you're down the tubes.
http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/2009/11/wil...
You can take the man out of Chicago but you can't take Chicago out of the man.
if we make it too 2010 still a free nation wonder how many of these people will go to jail/
Anything that would cause impeachment consideration? Nah, not with this congress…
Barry speaks so well though, and he’s so smart. What a con job! Looking for transparency out of this bunch ain’t gonna happen.
The numerous failures of the Justice Department to pursue apparent federal violations is in complete harmony with this stonewalling. When "The People," who grant the consent of the governed, feel like Justice is not available through what used to pass as a Justice system, it would be simple human nature to seek justice elsewhere, by other means. No good will come of this. Think of a basketball game where in a tightly contested battle a blatant punch to a player's face goes uncalled. Recipe for a brawl on the next play. We may be getting there.
0's comedy immunity has expired.
The investigators must feel like the Maytag Repair man. On the other hand, in the unlikely event they get assigned to an investigation, they live in fear of finding something.
Interesting question. It will be an allocation of resources problem for the next administration. 0 has what is called a target-rich operation for investigation.
"The President directed that FOIA “should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.” LMAO….not.
"America The Gullible, God shed his grace on thee"
Call it either Big Union Labor or Big Union or Big Union Bosses. But calling those scoundrels Big Labor is an insult to the American workforce. From sea to shining sea.
the transparent flow of….something, at any rate. anyone else had the same response as i did- the sigh, nod, and "if we had predicted this last year, we'd have been called conspiracy theorists"?
i have mental images of fiction novelists slapping collective foreheads saying "why didn't *we* think of this one first??"
I foresee public lynchings and burnings at the stake …
Obama is a charlatan.. He makes his pal Kwame Kilpatrick look like a saint.
I would love to get the inside story on Hilda Solis. What makes a nice lady from La Puente go completly evil. I hear her husband has a mechanic shop in City of Industry. At least someone in the family is engaged in honest work. Viva La Puente!!!! I need a to change my McPherson Struts, I think I will hunt him down.
Most corrupt administration in the history of the United States.
No transparency, and they are out to bilk everyone for as much money as it takes to remain in power, while stripping away the freedoms of Americans.
It is high time to start the second American revolution.
Wake Up america! This is another attempt by Obamas criminal crew to steal your rights! They have no reason or authority to ignore or refuse to provide any document we the people ask for! The people not providing thepapers needs to be jailed for obstruction and failing to fulfil thier oath of office! Wriet e-mails to the labor department demanding they release the papers! Demand that the department head be fired! Call and keep calling complaining about their refusal! Picket the directors house! Send e-mails and faxes to the white House nonstop! we have to fight this corrupt group of people before we become Soviet Russia! They think they are above the law but they work for us and suppoed to be public servants! we need to remind them of who they are and who they work for! Fire them all! wake Up america! They are stealing our wealth and our children's future aming slaves of us all unless we stand up and stop them!
Why conform to Freedom of Information Act when they ignore the Constitution?
I hate these sorry sonsofbitches like I've never hated anyone in my life.
Every one of them is as low as a child molester. I mean that. They play with our lives so casually.
And we are surprised?
She's a Flaming Left Wing Radical – recommended to the job by the Andy Stern:.
By 2008 Hilda Solis was campaigning under a new slogan “Yes we can”–the anglicised version of Cesar Chavez’s old battle cry “Si se puede”.
Solis sure wasn’t lonely. Other members of the Advisory Council included five members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — Xavier Becerra, Raúl Grijalva, Luis Gutiérrez, Linda T. Sánchez and Nydia Velázquez. Another named member was Service Employees International Union Executive Vice President and DSA honorary chair Eliseo Medina (below on left, Chicago DSA dinner 2004).
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...
According to the January/February 1999 issue of DSA’s New Ground, DSA “helped to organize” the Caucus.
The March 29, 1999, issue of The New American describes the House Progressive Caucus (HPC) as
… a consortium of radical congressional collectivists whose stunning success in November remains one of the most under-reported stories of the election. Fifty-five of the 58 members on last year’s HPC roster ran for re-election; every one of them was re-elected.
This success occurred in spite of the fact that there is a symbiotic relationship between the HPC and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — a relationship that has been ignored by the major media.
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/10/2...
The WH had many and with Obowa it's grown….
[...] a report at BigGovernment.com, Don Loos writes: On Friday, 20 November 2009, The National Right To Work Legal Defense [...]
Yet another LYING CORRUPT RADICAL in the obummer administration with a lot to hide! After all where is obummer's college transcrips and financial aid documentation? His thesis? His records from Columbia? Harvard? Backgrounf information on the czars that couldn't even get a security clearance IF THEIR JOB DEPENDED ON IT! The only thing transparent about this administration is how THEY LIE AND GET AWAY WITH IT? We need accountability, answers, and finally THE TRUTH! 2010 and 2012 won't get here soon enough.
All it would take to open up this administration is a fund. A fund provided to protect the whistle blowers. It is obvious that they'll do anything for campaign money so a few attorneys and some seven figure offers posted on the net would blow open the doors of their scams just like the global warming data dump. Most of the working people at these organizations aren't in line for the big payoffs and would need little encouragement to bring transparency back.
Obama's definition of transparency:…you get to see ONLY what he wants to show you.
This boob in the WH is more impeachable than Nixon EVER was. Vote for the (R)s in 2010 and maybe we can get our wish.
By now I would think everyone would know that what Obama said about transparency was just another in a long series of lies. Like the last Democratic president, he is incapable of telling the truth. Neither he nor his appointees ever had any idea other than to be just the way they are — obfuscatory socialists reshaping America regardless of the people and the Constitution.
He will not be allowed into the Kingdom at this time. Pray him out with Psalms Ch 109.
just another lie from the swishers.
transparent?
……..only if you can read between the lines
hows that bait and switch working for us now?
In the empty pages of the Health Bill, I believe that our right to vote will be quashed. It will be too late to do anything by this time next year.
Obama's transparancy was for the WH to show what they want the world to see that is bad about our country, not what is wrong with the government and those who run it. I really believe he has threatened the Congress and Senate members with transparancy if they don't do what he wants. In his time, he will replace them all with his own people after he has used them to get his dirty work done. We as a nation are being terrorized with the decisions of this administration.
Count on the fact that this administration will comply with FOIA requests – if the subject matter is the previous administration. The goal would be to embarrass the Bush administration and shift the blame for any misfortune onto them.
That was awesome. Thanks for the link.
THAT IS CORRECT ALL UNIONS BIG BOSSES SHOULD BE IN JAIL FOR DESTROYING AMERICAN CITIZENS RIGHT TO WORK AND THEIR CHOICES, WE ARE NOT COMMUNIST STYLE LIKE WHAT YOU UNIONS THINK !!, HELL WITH UNIONS AND MOBSTERS AND OBAMA COMMUNISTS !. WE ARE SEEKING FREEDOMS AND OUR RIGHTS !! " HANDS OFF" FROM US NOW ON !!. I WILL NEVER HAVE "UNION FLEAS" ON MY HEAD !.
Duh, I guess they lied.
Somewhere along the line, labor unions decided to infest the US government. It was at this point, that we need to go back to and let the lawsuits against them fly!
Union bosses are no longer interested in their workers, they are ONLY interested in their PERSONAL power.
It will take years to PROSECUTE all of the corrupt people in this Obama administration.
there's ahuge gun cabinet over at DoJ, filled with guns that smoke.
The only way we are going to get this adminstration's attention and respect is through a MASSIVE TAX REVOLT and by VOTING THEM OUT OF OFFICE. It's time to CLEAN HOUSE AMERICA!!!!!!
[...] to respond to FOIA requests that much more infuriating. Loos has beentrying for months to get basic information regarding the relationships between union bosses and Obama Labor department employ…, [...]
Hilda Solis is a corrupt, documented socialist with ties to communists. Go here and scroll down to see proof: http://www.commieblaster.com/progressives/index.h...