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July 21, 2008

Senator Grassley Proposes New Disclosure Requirements for Smithsonian

Sen. Charles E. Grassley and Sen. Arlen Specter have introduced legislation that would remove the Smithsonian Institution’s exemption from the Freedom of Information Act and the Sunshine Act, thereby requiring that the organization hold public meetings and make its records available to the public upon request, reports The Washington Post.

After a number of scandals and embarrassments, the institution — which receives 70 percent of its financial support from Congressional appropriations — has promised to make its operations more transparent and has hired a new secretary, G. Wayne Clough. The Post has previously reported on lavish, unauthorized expenditures by the former top Smithsonian executive, Lawrence M. Small.

The institution says that its policies are consistent with FOIA requirements, the newspaper reports. But according to Melanie Sloan, director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the public currently has no way to appeal if the Smithsonian refuses a FOIA request.

“Grassley’s bill would clarify that the Smithsonian belongs to all of us … and is not some private institution which can do as it will,” says Carl Malamud, who founded Media.org, which advocates for disclosure of public records.

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