FOIA Requests: The Unfound

In response to Freedom of Information Act requests, federal agencies are increasingly telling people, "We can't find what you're looking for," ScrippsNews reports. At the FBI, 74 percent of requests for information last year were denied on the grounds that no records could be found. Six years ago, the figure was 56 percent. Other agencies had similar declines over the same time period:

• State Department: 54 percent to 35 percent.
• Commerce: 67 percent to 52 percent.
• Securities and Exchange Commission: 46 percent to 35 percent.

Also, the FBI is redacting more of the information it does let out. In 2000, the agency provided 1,284 unaltered documents in response to FOIA requests. In 2006, only 56 such documents were released.