Appeal of DOJ Rejection of FOIA Request

We received our first rejection of a Freedom of Information Request from the Department of Justice earlier this year.  The reason for the rejection was an exclusion in the FOIA Act, which allows the withholding of information that could be expected to interfere with an enforcement proceeding.  Essentially the DOJ denied our request by arguing that providing transparency might keep the Consent Decree from being enforced.  We strongly disagree with this analysis, and instead believe that the DOJ, by not providing transparency, is hindering Ferguson's ability to heal and move forward.  A copy of the appeal as filed is HERE.