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How The FBI's Dysfunctional Search Systems Keep Information Out Of FOIA Requesters' Hands Monday July 13th, 2015 at 8:46 AM | » The atomic bomb brain trust: Leaders of the Manhattan Project 12/07/15 17:58 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks

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How The FBI's Dysfunctional Search Systems Keep Information Out Of FOIA Requesters' Hands Monday July 13 th , 2015  at  8:46 AM Techdirt 1 Share Thanks to yet another  FOIA lawsuit , more evidence is being produced that suggests certain federal agencies employ labyrinthine systems that seem deliberately designed to keep requesters as far away as possible from responsive documents. Trentadue v. FBI  deals with the release (or lack thereof) of videotapes containing footage of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Four days of oral testimony has at least partially exposed the search methods used by the FBI, which the agency uses as convenient information silos, rather than treat their central database as a cohesive whole. Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press points out that this "system" often leads to unfulfilled or partially-filled requests. FOIA requesters are often not aware that  the FBI will do a half-assed job unless le