August 31, 2018

More Documents Released Following Klobuchar’s Targeted Request

WASHINGTON – Presidents Bush and Trump approved the release of confidential records provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee following a specific request by Sen. Amy Klobuchar.  In a letter to his committee colleagues, Chairman Grassley offered to help facilitate access to specific confidential records that members wish to discuss during the open session of the confirmation hearing.  Sen. Klobuchar was the only committee member to submit a request.
 
“During Justice Gorsuch’s confirmation, I worked closely with my Democratic colleagues to assist them in asking the Administration to waive the [Presidential Records Act] restrictions and [Freedom of Information Action Act] exemptions on a reasonable number of Committee Confidential documents that those colleagues intended to use at the confirmation hearing,” Grassley said in the letter last week to his colleagues.
 
“As I did last year, I stand ready to work with President Trump and President Bush to request that they waive the PRA restrictions and FOIA exemptions for a reasonable number of documents that individual Members intend specifically to use at the confirmation hearing.”
 
The release pursuant to Sen. Klobuchar’s request includes four documents totaling 12 pages:
·       Cover Sheet
 
Records are designated as “committee confidential” if they contain material legally restricted from public release under the Presidential Records Act or the Freedom of Information Act. This includes sensitive personal information, such as full names, dates of birth, social security numbers, purely personal communications with family members, and the like, along with government information that federal law has deemed too sensitive at this time for public disclosure. Following his trademarks of fairness and transparency, Grassley has taken the unprecedented steps of making every “committee confidential” document available to any senator and all Judiciary Committee aides at any time and in digital searchable format.
 

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