PUBLIC RESEARCH / SOURCE GUIDE
How FOIA Records Become Public
FOIA, exemptions, agency reading rooms and the difference between a released record and a proven allegation.
Quick answer
How does the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) work?
The Freedom of Information Act, signed on July 4, 1966, gives anyone the right to request records from US federal executive agencies. Agencies must release them unless one of nine exemptions applies, such as national security, personal privacy or law enforcement. A released record shows what an agency had on file. It does not by itself prove that the allegations inside it are true.
Start with the original record
A public record confirms a document exists, not that every statement inside it is true.
How to investigate
- Locate the original record and note its author, date and archive identifier.
- Separate what the record states from what later commentators infer.
- Cross-check the claim with independent documents and contemporaneous reporting.
- Record what remains unknown or disputed.
This page is an orientation guide, not an assertion that any specific conspiracy claim is established. The linked official source is an entry point; individual documents have not been exhaustively verified.
Continue your investigation
Key facts and dates
- July 4, 1966: President Lyndon Johnson signs FOIA. It takes effect in 1967.
- 1974: Congress strengthens FOIA after Watergate, overriding President Ford's veto.
- Agencies generally have 20 working days to respond, with extensions in unusual circumstances.
- FOIA covers federal executive agencies. It does not cover Congress, the federal courts, or state governments.
- A 'Glomar response,' named after a 1970s CIA salvage ship, means an agency will neither confirm nor deny that records exist.
- 2016: The FOIA Improvement Act adds a 'foreseeable harm' standard for withholding records.
Common questions
Who can file a FOIA request?
Anyone, including people who are not US citizens. You do not have to explain why you want the records.
How much does a FOIA request cost?
Many requests are free. Agencies may charge for search and copying in some cases, and fees are often waived or reduced for small requests, news media and educational requests.
What does it mean when a FOIA document is redacted?
The agency withheld part of it under one of FOIA's nine exemptions. You can appeal a redaction or denial, and then go to court if the appeal fails.
Does a released FOIA document prove a conspiracy?
No. It proves the document exists and what it says. Whether its claims are accurate needs independent evidence.
Stories built on this record
The files below start from this record. Then they keep going. The first pages of every file are free.
Last reviewed 2026-10-13. Facts on this page come from the official sources linked above and the published record. Archive files are dramatized and always marked as files.