Interesting People mailing list archives
Withholds Foreign Agent Data; Says Computer is Fragile
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 19:38:32 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com> Date: June 28, 2004 7:13:27 PM EDT To: Dave Farber: ;"Peter Neumann, SRI" <neumann () csl sri com>Subject: fwd: [FOI-L] DOJ Withholds Foreign Agent Data; Says Computer is Fragile
At 5:40 PM -0400 6/28/04, Michael Ravnitzky <mikerav () mindspring com> posted to FOI-L:
Justice Department Denies Access to Data, Saying Their Computer is Too Fragile!You have gotta read the complete article, which is posted here: http://www.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=332&sid=100 Foreign Lobbyist Database Could VanishJustice Department claims merely copying its foreign agents database could destroy itBy Kevin BogardusWASHINGTON, June 28, 2004 - Justice Department officials say a huge database that serves as the public's lone window on lobbying activities by foreign governments has been allowed to decay to a point they cannot even make a copy of its contents.Responding to a recent Freedom of Information request from the Center for Public Integrity, the Justice Department's Foreign Agent Registration Unit said it was unable to copy its records electronically because their computer system was "so fragile." In a letter, the head of the unit's Freedom of Information office said that simply attempting to make an electronic copy of the database "could result in a major loss of data, which would be devastating."SNIP ================ personal comment from Michael Ravnitzky:Here's the newest way the Justice Department is using to hid links to Saudi funding.
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- Withholds Foreign Agent Data; Says Computer is Fragile David Farber (Jun 28)