[NewsMix] Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson charges the Freedom of Information Act — once a formidable press tool to maintain government transparency — has now been twisted by federal officials to "obfuscate, obstruct and delay."Attkisson fired the blast at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where she related how she watched her daughter literally grow up before the Defense Department handed over FOIA documents she'd requested 10 years beforehand, the Daily Signal reports.
"FOIA should be one of the most powerful tools of the public and the press in a free and open society," the former investigative reporter for CBS News testified.
"Instead, it’s largely a pointless, useless shadow of its intended self."
Attkisson was among big-name reporters invited to speak at the hearing called by Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the committee’s chairman, about roadblocks that have caused FOI delays, obstructions and violations, the Daily Signal reports.