Slow FOIA request responses cloud a window into Washington

01/29/12: The New York Times reports that the intent of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was to provide citizens, scholars and journalists a window into the workings of their government, but sometimes it seems as though the shades are drawn. According to the act, federal agencies are supposed to promptly release documents requested by the public. In the dialect of Washington, it can be a noun or a verb. But the FOIA process is seldom prompt. The courts have ruled that government agencies must respond to FOIA requests in 20 days. But some requests are approaching 20 years old.