FOI DAILY DOSE: Open gov orgs push for money for E-Gov Fund, ACLU sues for WikiLeaks-released U.S. cables
Transparency groups call on Congress to restore open gov funding
Accountability group OMB Watch released a letter Monday that urged Congress to consider restoring funding for the Electronic Government Fund, or E-Gov Fund.
More than 30 open government groups signed the letter.
The E-Gov Fund supports government websites like USAspending.gov and Data.gov and bolsters transparency initiatives.
The 2011 fiscal year budget deal cut the fund’s financial support from $34 million to $8 million.
The House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up a bill for the 2012 fiscal year on June 16, which will include information on the E-Gov Fund’s budget.
The letter requests that the subcommittee consider restoring funding for the E-Gov Fund in the measure.
ACLU sues for declassification of U.S. diplomatic cables
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the U.S. State Department in an attempt to force the declassification of embassy cables already released by WikiLeaks.
The ACLU’s April FOIA request for 23 cables already released by the website was ignored. Thus, the lawsuit.
WikiLeaks support group plans pro-Manning protest
A Boston-based group called Civic Counsel plans to hold a protest Wednesday opposing the treatment of Bradley Manning and the grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks.
It will be held in Boston on the day activist and Bradley Manning supporter David House is to appear in court due to a grand jury subpoena.
Manning is accused of leaking U.S. diplomatic cables and other information to WikiLeaks in 2010.
– Morgan Watkins
Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).
Tags: ACLU, Bradley Manning, budget, E-Gov Fund, FOI, FOIA, Freedom of Information, leaker, OMB Watch, open government, transparency, whistleblower, Wikileaks
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