Center for Public Integrity scores FOIA win on Ukraine documents

Introduction

The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates betrayals of public trust. Sign up to receive our stories.

On Monday, federal district court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered expedited processing for the Center for Public Integrity’s requests for copies of White House and Defense Department documents related to President Donald Trump’s decision to halt the flow of military aid and security assistance to Ukraine.

Public Integrity requested these documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

We hope these documents will shed further light on the administration’s decision-making about an issue that is now at the center of Congress’ impeachment inquiry.

We’re grateful the judge upheld our claim that releasing these documents is in the public’s interest, and that she ordered the administration to comply with our request on a speedier timetable than it sought. D.C.-based Public Integrity is one of America’s oldest, Pulitzer-winning nonprofit newsrooms. It is a leading news organization in filing FOIA lawsuits, ranking only behind the New York Times but ahead of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, according to Syracuse University’s FOIA project.