March 16 is Freedom of Information Day, a day during Sunshine Week which specifically celebrates the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the key role it plays in promoting good government. FOIA is of the utmost importance to Whistleblower Network News, both in the way it supports whistleblowers and their truth telling and in how it aids WNN’s original reporting.
FOIA was passed in 1966 and provides the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. Under FOIA, federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested by the public unless it falls under an exemption protecting personal privacy, national security, and other interests.
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In October 2021, Jason Foster of Empower Oversight wrote an op-ed for WNN detailing how newly uncovered documents show senior Veterans Affairs (VA) officials smearing a whistleblower to avoid Congressional oversight. The documents Foster details were obtained via a FOIA request. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) then referenced the WNN story in a letter to the VA.
WNN celebrates Freedom of Information Day and looks forward to continuing to utilize FOIA in future reporting.