First on the fox: Government watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit to obtain information and documents from John Kerry’s Office of Climate Special Presidential Envoy. hidden from public view.
Judicial Watch’s lawsuit, which was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia last month, alleges that the State Department blocked the group from obtaining key information about the internal operations of Kerry’s office in violation of law. Freedom of Information Act. The 1967 Act requires the federal government to disclose information and documents upon request.
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
According to court files, Judicial Watch sent a request for information to the State Department in late July. The group requested copies of records related to Kerry travel costsA complete catalog of Kerry’s calendar entries and copies of all Kerry’s office organizational charts identifying the staff assigned to the office.
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The office of Special Presidential Climate Envoy John Kerry is located in the State Department and has an estimated annual budget of $13.9 million with 45 staff approved (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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While the State Department acknowledged receiving the request, it failed to determine whether it would comply with it, inform any decision with Judicial Watch or provide the requested documents. Goodial Watch said it had “exhausted administrative appeals” after the agency missed its September 13 deadline, forcing it to take legal action.
The group asked the court to order the State Department to make the records request and to share any documents the research produced.
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President Biden appointed Kerry to be the first Presidential Special Envoy for Climate (SPEC), a cabinet-level position charged with participating in climate negotiations with foreign nations, shortly after taking office in January 2021. Kerry’s office is located in the State Department and has an estimated annual budget of $13.9 million with 45 employees approved.
But since Kerry’s appointment, which did not require Senate approval and give him a seat on the National Security Council, his office has been silent about its staff and operations. Fox News Digital Review From online recruitment portals in August I identified several current SPEC employees, all of whom previously worked for think tanks and left-wing organizations.
“It’s no surprise — it’s basically the same old gang,” Myron Ebel, director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital at the time. “These are the people who have worked and failed on these issues for decades.”
“This gang is a climate aristocracy, you name it,” Ebel said.
Kerry’s office issued notices when Kerry traveled abroad, but with few details about his schedule. However, she has not published Kerry’s full calendar, as other agencies have done for her leadership.
Kerry’s office did not respond to a request for comment.