Remember “the most transparent administration in history”? That’s what Donald Trump promised at the beginning of his second term, and it’s been going about as well as the rest of his promises. The ongoing Epstein files debacle is the most glaring example, but contempt for the public’s right to know reaches far deeper in this administration.

Every day, the government creates reams of data, information, emails, and reports that belong to and are paid for by the public. That’s why the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other public records laws require the government—with some exceptions—to let anyone see these documents whenever we ask.

Before Trump took power again last year, he and many in the MAGA movement were big fans of this principle. Trump filed FOIA requests with the IRS to stymie its audit of him and the National Archives when he got into trouble for retaining classified information. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. FOIA’d information about vaccines and his Secret Service detail and sued the government for not responding quickly enough.

But now, Trump and Kennedy are singing a different tune. Across the government, offices responsible for public information........

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