January, 27 2009, 09:00am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Naomi Seligman 202.408.5565
A Call to Action - CREW Asks Obama Admin to Release Bush Admin Records Withheld From Public
WASHINGTON
After eight long years of secrecy, on his first full day in office, President Obama issued several executive orders signaling a new era in government openness and accountability. CREW calls on the Obama administration to fulfill its commitment to transparency by releasing records withheld from public view by the Bush administration.
The Department of Justice should release documents related to the interview of former Vice President Cheney provided to the FBI as part of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert identity;
The Secret Service should release all requested White House visitor records and remove the veil of secrecy that currently surrounds the White House;
The White House should release all documents that explain why the Bush administration refused to act for years in the face of an internal report documenting the mysterious disappearance of millions of emails from White House servers;
The White House should release all documents that explain why the Bush administration refused to implement an effective electronic record keeping system in the face of evidence that its current system was an abysmal failure, notwithstanding the development of two other workable systems;
The White House should release documents requested by Congress that explain the full role of President Bush and his staff in the mass firings of U.S. Attorneys;
The Department of Homeland Security should release all documents explaining why the Bush administration decided to bypass property of Ray L. Hunt, a major contributor to the Bush presidential library, in its sitting decision for the border fence between the United States and Mexico;
The White House should release all documents of the Council on Environmental Quality related to the efforts of the Bush administration to distort scientific conclusions, warnings, and predictions on climate change.
CREW's executive director Melanie Sloan said today, "Signing an executive order signaling openness is one thing, actually releasing documents is another. This the perfect opportunity for the Obama administration to back up its words with concrete action."
CREW's related FOIA requests can be found in the Related Documents section here.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- who sacrifice the common good to special interests. CREW advances its mission using a combination of research, litigation and media outreach.
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