CREW requests correspondence between White House and Interior
CREW requests copies of all communications from January 20, 2017, to the present sent to or from anyone within the Executive Office of the President and/or anyone acting on behalf of the Executive Office of the President, including members of the Trump transition team, to the Interior Department’s Office of Public Affairs and/or the Office of the Secretary.
Reportedly, the Trump administration has taken multiple steps to limit or ban communications from the Interior Department including a directive to the agency’s digital team to stop all tweeting following the posting of a side-by-side picture comparing the crowd sizes of the inauguration of President Obama and President Trump. Further, a January 20, 2017 memorandum from the Office of the Secretary establishes new review and clearance procedures for federal register documents and correspondence.
The requested records would shed light on the accuracy of these reports, the nature of the ban the White House has imposed, and the extent to which the White House has attempted to stifle communications from the Interior Department.