Is your alma mater inviting the government to monitor its football fans on game day? How much do Big Ten schools earn renting out their mascots? You can FOIA that – or visit FOIAball.com, where journalist David Covucci adds transparency to the big business of collegiate sports. Covucci tells Jason and Matt what he learned from FOIAing Osama Bin Laden’s porn collection and how he applies it to a multibillion-dollar industry run by public institutions. Matt and Jason let David in on their FOIA Soundtrack playlist. 

Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter at https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files.

Is your alma mater inviting the government to monitor its football fans on game day? How much do Big Ten schools earn renting out their mascots? You can FOIA that &ndash; or visit FOIAball.com, where journalist David Covucci adds transparency to the big business of collegiate sports. Covucci tells Jason and Matt what he learned from FOIAing Osama Bin Laden&rsquo;s porn collection and how he applies it to a multibillion-dollar industry run by public institutions. Matt and Jason let David in on their <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/73YJz4dwYpvAXFGxJHttFH?si=nfEjhCn7TgOAR7iZats9Ow&amp;utm_source=sms&amp;pi=Jin9o2pqS6Wwm&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=f6171f10d608406e">FOIA Soundtrack</a> playlist.&nbsp;
Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files">https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files</a>.

He Brings Sunlight to College Football

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9fc0b97e-2f38-4305-bc4a-b4f101774b1d/transcript

When the Securities and Exchange Commission announced earlier this year that it had disciplined workers for golfing on the job, investigative reporter Jason Leopold shot off a FOIA request. Co-host Matt Topic, who is an accomplished golfer, and Jason, who isn’t, pore over records he received about the SEC’s internal investigation. They learn how a few words overheard on a golf course launched a Caddyshack-worthy investigation into allegations of government waste and abuse – or, in this instance, “known golf activity.”

Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter at https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files.

When the Securities and Exchange Commission announced earlier this year that it had disciplined workers for golfing on the job, investigative reporter Jason Leopold shot off a FOIA request. Co-host Matt Topic, who is an accomplished golfer, and Jason, who isn&rsquo;t, pore over records he received about the SEC&rsquo;s internal investigation. They learn how a few words overheard on a golf course launched a Caddyshack-worthy investigation into allegations of government waste and abuse &ndash; or, in this instance, &ldquo;known golf activity.&rdquo;
Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files">https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files</a>.

The SEC Roots Out Golf on the Taxpayer Dime

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b26069c7-9b2e-426a-819a-b4ea016d1036/transcript

Investigative reporter Jason Leopold and attorney Matt Topic take viewers inside a yearslong effort to head off document destruction at the White House during President Trump’s first term. Drawing from government documents (and The Big Lebowski), they reveal how the US National Archives and Records Administration tried to alert the feds to potentially illegal record disposal. And they learn why FBI and Justice Department personnel clashed before searching Trump's Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Voice acting by Mandy Hull.

Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter at https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files.

Investigative reporter Jason Leopold and attorney Matt Topic take viewers inside a yearslong effort to head off document destruction at the White House during President Trump&rsquo;s first term. Drawing from government documents (and The Big Lebowski), they reveal how the US National Archives and Records Administration tried to alert the feds to potentially illegal record disposal. And they learn why FBI and Justice Department personnel clashed before searching Trump's Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Voice acting by Mandy Hull. Subscribe to the FOIA Files newsletter at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files">https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files</a>.

The Secret History of the Mar-a-Lago Document Seizure

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c49add78-663c-4a24-be9d-b4e4011427e7/transcript

Disclosure, the podcast dedicated to revealing the government’s inner workings, is back for Season 2 in audio and video.

By law, nearly every move federal agencies make—every email, every memo, every receipt—belongs to the public. The key to gaining access is the Freedom of Information Act. In theory, FOIA obligates the government to open its files. But it also allows the government to hold back certain details, meaning that forcing transparency often requires a fight.

Join Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold and First Amendment attorney Matt Topic for a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that government officials never wanted you to know. Listen to new episodes of Disclosure, from Bloomberg & No Smiling, starting Oct. 15, wherever you get your podcasts.

Disclosure, the podcast dedicated to revealing the government&rsquo;s inner workings, is back for Season 2 in audio and video. By law, nearly every move federal agencies make&mdash;every email, every memo, every receipt&mdash;belongs to the public. The key to gaining access is the Freedom of Information Act. In theory, FOIA obligates the government to open its files. But it also allows the government to hold back certain details, meaning that forcing transparency often requires a fight.
Join Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold and First Amendment attorney Matt Topic for a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that government officials never wanted you to know. Listen to new episodes of Disclosure, from Bloomberg &amp; No Smiling, starting Oct. 15, wherever you get your podcasts.

Introducing: Disclosure Season 2

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/87a6dd3a-2c55-4b2e-88e8-b4e4002fabbb/transcript

One Christmas, Matt dashed off a letter to the FBI’s FOIA office: Please search your old investigation files for the name Santa Claus, he requested, and send me the first few pages you find. What a simple holiday wish taught us about one agency’s spirit of giving.

The Disclosure podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. For early and ad-free access to episodes, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

One Christmas, Matt dashed off a letter to the FBI&rsquo;s FOIA office: Please search your old investigation files for the name Santa Claus, he requested, and send me the first few pages you find. What a simple holiday wish taught us about one agency&rsquo;s spirit of giving.
The Disclosure podcast is available on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disclosure/id1847986591">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3EJCObpztK6octVEsxGx2W?si=2e0338e7a11c4d2f&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=0a2757a7bd7148d6">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-disclosure-302237686/">iHeart</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. For early and ad-free access to episodes, subscribe at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.</a>

Asking the FBI to Release the Santa Files

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1cc0b62c-70b4-4f3c-8acd-b3b500430f31/transcript

Ask the US government for public records, and your request will go to a federal employee who holds the keys to what gets released and what doesn’t. Jason and Matt get a rare look inside a government Freedom of Information Act operation from Michael Sarich, who worked his way up from a FOIA post at the Bureau of Land Management to FOIA director at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this episode, they discuss weird requests, big backlogs and the latest challenges to government transparency.

For early and ad-free access to this episode on Apple, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

Ask the US government for public records, and your request will go to a federal employee who holds the keys to what gets released and what doesn&rsquo;t. Jason and Matt get a rare look inside a government Freedom of Information Act operation from Michael Sarich, who worked his way up from a FOIA post at the Bureau of Land Management to FOIA director at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this episode, they discuss weird requests, big backlogs and the latest challenges to government transparency.
For early and ad-free access to this episode on Apple, subscribe at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.</a>

These Federal Officers Wield the Power of Transparency

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0d14cd5d-ebc4-4d21-8072-b3ae002d72e0/transcript

The new Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the government to release a trove of documents from its Jeffrey Epstein investigations – minus whatever documents the Justice Department determines need to be withheld from the public. Jason and Matt dig into the FBI’s massive review of the Epstein files earlier this year, unearth an inventory of the government’s Epstein records and explore an alternate way the files could go public -- via a long-running, under-the-radar court battle.

For early and ad-free access to this episode on Apple, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

The new Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the government to release a trove of documents from its Jeffrey Epstein investigations &ndash; minus whatever documents the Justice Department determines need to be withheld from the public. Jason and Matt dig into the FBI&rsquo;s massive review of the Epstein files earlier this year, unearth an inventory of the government&rsquo;s Epstein records and explore an alternate way the files could go public -- via a long-running, under-the-radar court battle.
For early and ad-free access to this episode on Apple, subscribe at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.</a>

What to Expect When You’re Expecting the Epstein Files

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e5bf72e4-b5d8-4d38-a7da-b3a7010f3f11/transcript

Exclusivity was the point of Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Only one copy was produced. A few minutes of it were played -- once -- in public. It sold at auction, with the condition it be heard only in private. And the album may have remained shrouded in mystery, were it not for a pharma bro, a Justice Department seizure... and the power of the Freedom of Information Act.

Thanks to Open Mike Eagle for reading this week's Justice Department documents.

For access to episodes early and ad-free, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts

Exclusivity was the point of Wu-Tang Clan's&nbsp;Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Only one copy was produced. A few minutes of it were played -- once -- in public. It sold at auction, with the condition it be heard only in private.&nbsp;And the album may have remained shrouded in mystery, were it not for a pharma bro, a Justice Department seizure... and the power of the Freedom of Information Act.
Thanks to Open Mike Eagle for reading this week's Justice Department documents.
For access to episodes early and ad-free, subscribe at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts" data-destination="rte:bind">www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts</a>

To Crack Wu-Tang Album's Secrets, FOIA FOIA Y'All (Feat. Open Mike Eagle)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6422557e-7c39-4594-8bc6-b39f017b150a/transcript

Earlier this year, newly minted young workers from the Department of Government Efficiency slashed USAID spending and hobbled the US Institute of Peace. Meanwhile, at the Peace Corps, staffers spent weeks preparing for their own mystery guest from Doge – ensuring that whoever arrived would have computers, a quiet conference room and weekend access, according to public records obtained under FOIA. Special thanks/apologies to Phil Collins, Loverboy, Slayer and Megadeth for this episode’s rich tapestry of musical touchpoints.

For access to episodes early and ad-free, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts

Earlier this year, newly minted young workers from the Department of Government Efficiency slashed USAID spending and hobbled the US Institute of Peace. Meanwhile, at the Peace Corps, staffers spent weeks preparing for their own mystery guest from Doge &ndash; ensuring that whoever arrived would have computers, a quiet conference room and weekend access, according to public records obtained under FOIA. Special thanks/apologies to Phil Collins, Loverboy, Slayer and Megadeth for this episode&rsquo;s rich tapestry of musical touchpoints.
For access to episodes early and ad-free, subscribe at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts" data-destination="rte:bind">www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts</a>

 Waiting for Doge

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b7066506-aaf4-485d-bce2-b39900371ea6/transcript

In August 2022, on the day the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago to recover files from Donald Trump's first term, another allegation was swirling around – that presidential papers may have been flushed down a White House toilet. This raised a lot of questions. How many documents could a person flush down a toilet? Could they be recovered? Did the FBI ever investigate? Join hosts Jason Leopold and Matt Topic, and producers Heather Schroering and Sean Cannon, on a journey of sinkholes, fatbergs and the power of public record searches.

In August 2022, on the day the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago to recover files from Donald Trump's first term, another allegation was swirling around &ndash; that presidential papers may have been flushed down a White House toilet. This raised a lot of questions. How many documents could a person flush down a toilet? Could they be recovered? Did the FBI ever investigate? Join hosts Jason Leopold and Matt Topic, and producers Heather Schroering and Sean Cannon, on a journey of sinkholes, fatbergs and the power of public record searches.

Our Deep Dive for White House Records Starts in the Toilet

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8058c7b0-356e-45cb-ab73-b39200f638c7/transcript

Disclosure, the podcast dedicated to revealing the government’s inner workings, is back for Season 2.

By law, nearly every move federal agencies make—every email, every memo, every receipt—belongs to the public. Access is granted through the Freedom of Information Act. FOIA obligates the government to open its files. But it also allows the government to hold back certain details, meaning that forcing transparency often requires a fight.  Every Thursday, Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold and attorney Matt Topic take audiences on a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that government officials never wanted you to know.

Produced by Bloomberg and No Smiling.

Disclosure, the podcast dedicated to revealing the government&rsquo;s inner workings, is back for Season 2.
By law, nearly every move federal agencies make&mdash;every email, every memo, every receipt&mdash;belongs to the public. Access is granted through the Freedom of Information Act. FOIA obligates the government to open its files. But it also allows the government to hold back certain details, meaning that forcing transparency often requires a fight.&nbsp; Every Thursday, Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold and attorney Matt Topic take audiences on a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that government officials never wanted you to know.
Produced by Bloomberg and No Smiling.

Disclosure

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