David Cuillier Comments on Continued Delays for Public Records Requests

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information (FOI) Project, was quoted in “It’s Not Just the Epstein Files. The Trump Administration is Withholding All Kinds of Public Records” published on msnbc.com on July 15.

The story focuses on President Trump’s less-publicized efforts to block access to public records requests. These records often serve as the basis for investigative journalism, academic papers and even campaign ads.

According to Cuillier, public records laws are currently mired in a “tar pit” and are functionally useless for most Americans.

His analysis of the Department of Justice’s internal data on FOIA response rates found that the full release of records has declined from 38% in 2011 during the Obama administration to 12% in 2024 under President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, the average response time nearly doubled, from 24 to 44 days.

Cuillier says that federal courts are the last place where Americans can still consistently secure public records because government agencies generally respond to court orders.

Category: Brechner Center, College News
Tagged: Brechner Freedom of Information Project David Cuillier public records
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