June 20, 2008

Contact: Naomi Seligman Steiner 202.408.5565 nseligman@citizensforethics.org

20 Jun 2008 // Today, after receiving Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)'s motion for a stay [1] pending appeal in CREW v. Office of Administration, which was filed this morning, District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a minute order requiring the White House to retain all documents that are the subject of CREW's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests until the Court resolves CREW's request for a stay.

CREW is seeking a stay that would require the Office of Administration (OA) to retain all documents potentially responsive to its FOIA requests until its appeal is resolved, to guard against their transfer to the Archivist at the end of the administration, where they will not be publicly accessible for years. Judge Kollar-Kotelly also set an expedited briefing schedule on CREW's motion, recognizing the "pressing nature" the motion presents.