FCC Denies FOIA Request on May 18 Meeting Security
The FCC denied a Freedom of Information Act request by Communications Daily for information about any death threats toward or safety concerns involving Chairman Ajit Pai. In a letter Tuesday, the Office of the Managing Director (OMD) said information about…
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such threats would be exempt because it could be part of an ongoing investigation, "could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual," or both. We filed the FOIA request on threats Pai received and on security planning for commissioners' May meeting at which a reporter was manhandled (see 1705190031). About the security planning, OMD said that agency security "was operating under heightened awareness for potential disruptions and threats to the ... meeting," but there were no records of security procedures or correspondence specifically about that meeting. It also said the May 18 gathering was subject to general security directives, and those are exempt and their disclosure "would impair their effectiveness."