FOIA Update

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for failing to respond to multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for its communications related to IRS whistleblowers Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Gary Shapley and Special Agent (SA) Joe Ziegler and the protected disclosures they made to Congress. The …

The Securities and Exchange Commission has provided a second partial response to Empower Oversight’s Freedom of Information Act request from May 15, 2023.  The request centered around communications about the oversight organization’s referral of evidence to the Inspector General, pointing to ethical violations and related litigation. Empower Oversight sought records of communications about the group’s May 2022 …

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight is pressing FBI Director Wray on the improper politicization of the agency’s Security Division (SecD). Following new allegations of retaliation against those in SecD who resisted weaponizing the security clearance process but were overruled by leadership, Empower Oversight has now demanded records related to the restoration of FBI whistleblower Marcus Allen’s …

Empower Oversight has submitted a new FOIA request seeking documents and communications from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI personnel about the law enforcement agency whistleblowers who testified to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government. Recent revelations suggest that government personnel privately coordinated with staff of a member of Congress …

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight is pressing for records that could expose the lack of disciplinary measures taken against Supervisory Special Agent John Morris related to his role in the scandal over the FBI’s mishandling of mob boss/informant Whitey Bulger. Bulger was a Boston crime mob boss who served as an FBI confidential informant for 15 …

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight continues to increase the pressure on the Justice Department and push for details about the department’s management of the personnel who are handling of the lawsuits involving Hunter Biden. In April, Empower Oversight expressed concern that in the Department’s prosecution of Hunter Biden in Delaware and California, as well as in …

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight is again pressing the Securities and Exchange Commission for additional records regarding the public declarations that multiple cryptocurrencies were not a security by both William Hinman, the former director of the Corporate Finance Division, and Jay Clayton, the former Chairman of the SEC. Through previous Freedom of Information Act requests, Empower …

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight is renewing its request for records related to the Criminal Justice Information Services’ Assistant Director Michael Christman who is the subject of multiple complaints by current and former employees. The agency denied Empower Oversight’s original request, citing a Glomar defense, meaning that the agency neither confirms nor denies the existence of …

WASHINGTON – Empower Oversight is pressing the FBI to go back to the drawing board after what it says was an inadequate search of the FBI’s records in the whistleblower organization’s inquiry about a tip to the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office in the Whitey Bulger case. Empower Oversight received an allegation two years ago …