Did Trump cuts slow access to public records? We found 26 cases that say yes.
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
Government agencies are delaying public records requests due to Trump administration budget cuts.
How This Affects You
You may face longer waits and higher legal costs to get government documents you're entitled to see.
AI Summary
Federal agencies are requesting extensions on Freedom of Information Act requests, citing staffing shortages following Trump administration budget cuts implemented through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Legal documents show 26 cases where government lawyers explicitly blamed reduced personnel in FOIA offices for delays in processing public records requests. The staffing reductions are creating a backlog that could significantly slow citizens' access to government documents. Attorneys representing federal agencies have filed formal pleas with courts seeking more time to fulfill their legal obligations to release public records. These delays could force requesters to pursue costly litigation to obtain documents they are legally entitled to receive.
What's Being Done
Federal agencies are asking courts for more time to process Freedom of Information Act requests.
Following this story?
Get notified when new coverage appears
This article is part of a story we're tracking:
Should this be getting more attention?
You Might Have Missed
Related stories from different sources and perspectives
Government TransparencyDHS Seeks Access to Massive Employment, Salary and Family Database Legally Restricted to Use in Child Support Cases
The post DHS Seeks Access to Massive Employment, Salary and Family Database Legally Restricted to Use in Child Support Cases appeared first on ProPublica .
PoliticsTrump administration widens its 2020 election probe as it obtains records from Arizona
The Republican leader of Arizona's state Senate said Monday he has handed over records related to the 2020 presidential election to the FBI in the latest sign that the Trump administration is acting on the president's longstanding falsehoods about a race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
PoliticsThe Trump administration widens its probe of the 2020 election as it obtains records from Arizona - AP News
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNSkQtN0tNN1ZhVmZwZ2RwS3JTeVdKbGI0RmFDcWFKN0JLNjlHNjhsVGI5RkNyMzhLeUJTZGJXNWNhM3h6SklJVXdvRkJqZDhCLUhMY3IzbVFvaGRCWUxrbnNWM1VIajVDLTZrSnBUTXhkMnk4R1ZwM0o2OTdrWmRqcGxLMVZQbk1LejBscUNBZXBLZE1fWnBDQ0F3a3BjaXlp?oc=5" target="_blank">The Trump administration widens its probe of the 2020 election as it obtains records from Arizona</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>
PoliticsTrump crypto venture offers “guaranteed direct access” for $5 million - Reuters
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNZGtxTy1jc0tUMjlqazlCR2hzSm1FOEY5RVZoUmJPTlNJbndYSWdIWDZuTnFVem5Lby10ZXRUMUJoX0FxN2RXR2xpUk5RMTBhaVRqSy1BM01kV0RoQlhCQzNHV3o5SjJxM0FuNm9GR21tdkxWZ0JpN05oc2FQQ19aR3hVVVpyZldOalN2U0QzWkQxcDFNa1h6YlZsSWhwTENSQW91Wk1ONkxCcW8?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump crypto venture offers “guaranteed direct access” for $5 million</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>
PoliticsTrump-endorsed Republican in Louisiana accused of rape in 2007
<p>Blake Miguez, 44, not criminally charged over allegation reported to local police but never disclosed to public</p><p>A Louisiana Republican congressional candidate endorsed by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a> was the subject of a 2007 rape accusation that was reported to local law enforcement the same day of the alleged assault – but never disclosed to the public or, reportedly, the president’s team as he became one of the rising stars in the state’s Republican party.</p><p>That has raised concerns within the White House that Blake Miguez “either wasn’t fully vetted or wasn’t forthcoming about discoverable documents from his past” before securing Trump’s backing, the Atlantic <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/03/lousiana-blake-miguez-trump-endorsement/686325/">reported</a> on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the endorsement process.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/11/louisiana...
PoliticsUniversities slow hiring, faculty navigate rocky future amid Trump attacks on higher education
The Trump administration’s attacks on universities have led to a slowdown in hiring, with international academics particularly caught in the crossfire. Colleges are being forced to navigate both threats to federal funding and immigration roadblocks, a landscape that many find increasingly untenable to navigate. The U.S. has a reputation for research that some say will survive the…
FCC chair threatens to throttle news broadcasts over ‘hoaxes’ about Iran war
<p>Brendan Carr posts that he may cancel spectrum permits of ‘mainstream news’ outlets for ‘misleading’ coverage</p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration">Trump administration</a>’s communications licensing tsar fired a warning shot over the US broadcasting industry Saturday, threatening to cancel the spectrum permits of broadcasters pushing what he termed “hoaxes and news distortions”.</p><p>Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr posted on social media that broadcasters running “fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/14/fcc-broadcast-permits-iran-war-news">Continue reading...</a>
Did this story change how you see things?
Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.
The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.
See our sourcesMost Read This Week
‘No popular support’: China warns against government change in Iran
Whitmer's office calls for probe into why weather service didn't issue tornado watch - The Detroit News
Defense official reveals how AI chatbots could be used for targeting decisions
Rubio designates Afghanistan as ‘state sponsor of wrongful detention’
Senate Democrat calls for investigation into Texas drone incidents
