Reagan Library To Open Additional Records Relating To John Roberts
Press Release · Monday, August 29, 2005

Washington, DC

WHAT: Today the Ronald Reagan Library is releasing an additional 175 pages from its re-review of the John Roberts’ records restricted from release on August 15, 2005. Of the pages being released today, 148 pages are being released in part and 27 pages are being released in their entirety. This material was originally withheld under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the release of 5,393 pages by the Reagan Library. The National Archives has determined that 303 pages will remain restricted in whole under applicable FOIA exemptions. The majority of the restricted material is closed under exemption (b)(6) of the FOIA --clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Much of the information that remains closed deals with personal information of others, including financial information of those being considered for Presidential appointments.

WHERE: These records will be available in two formats

• The Research Room at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA will open reference copies of the documents.
• The National Archives web site: http://www.archives.gov/news/john-roberts/reagan-library-collections/

WHEN: These records will be available at the Reagan Library at 9:00 am PDT and at 12:00 pm EDT on the National Archives web site.

BACKGROUND: On August 15, 2005, The National Archives released 5,393 pages of material from the files of John G. Roberts at the Reagan Library. At that time, 478 pages were withheld under applicable FOIA exemptions, 5 U.S.C. § 552.

R. Duke Blackwood, Director of the Ronald Reagan Library, received a letter from Senator Patrick Leahy, ranking Democratic member on the Committee on the Judiciary, requesting that the Reagan Library and the National Archives conduct a supplementary review of these 478 pages and release those records, or portions thereof, that do not require closure under an applicable FOIA exemption.

The National Archives and the Reagan Library staff have now completed this re-review resulting in today’s release.

The requirements for review and release of Presidential records are established by the Presidential Records Act of 1978 and Executive Order 13233. This process is very labor-intensive and requires that National Archives staff conduct a page by page, word for word review of all records in order to protect, as required by law, sensitive information such as national security, personal privacy and law enforcement information. Following the National Archives review, by law, both the representatives of the former and the incumbent Presidents must have an opportunity to review all of the records, to determine if any of them are subject to a constitutionally-based privilege and whether such privilege will be asserted.

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For further information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs Office at 202-501-5526.

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