Reagan Library To Open Additional Records Relating To John Roberts
Press Release · Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Washington, DC

WHAT: Today the Ronald Reagan Library is releasing an additional 417 pages from its re-review of the records related to John Roberts restricted from release on August 18, 2005. Of the pages being released today, 341 pages are being released in part and 79 pages are being released in their entirety. This material was originally withheld under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the release of 38,546 pages by the Reagan Library. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has determined that 1,288 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:

Copies of the documents will be available for the media to pick up from the National Archives Building's Pennsylvania Avenue Lobby, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. ONE COPY PER MEDIA OUTLET ONLY.

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 on Thursday, September 1, 2005.  http://www.archives.gov/news/john-roberts/reagan-library-collections-2/

WHEN: These records will be available at the Reagan Library at 10:00 AM (PDT), at the National Archives at 4 PM (EST) on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 and on the National Archives web site on Thursday, September 1, 2005.

BACKGROUND: On August 18, 2005, The National Archives released 38,546 pages of material from the files of John G. Roberts at the Reagan Library. At that time, 1,708 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 NARA conduct a supplementary review of these 1708 pages and release those records, or portions thereof, that do not require closure under an applicable FOIA exemption.

NARA 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 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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