32 Quotes by Steven Aftergood

We have an interest on public access to government information and in government control of such access. Don't shut down these guys whether they are communicating with their families or they are reaching out to the larger public.

This whole activity was effectively concealed. It's baffling. It's basically a covert action taking place at the National Archives.

FOIA is one of the most vital tools we have left and it's urgent that it be protected. It's under stress in this climate, but it's not broken.

FOIA is one of the most vital tools we have left, and it's urgent that it be protected. It's under stress in this climate, but it's not broken.

an implicit repudiation of the CIA, which was established to be the central focus and the integrator of the nation's intelligence production.

As a society we seem to be losing our ability to rationally debate complicated policy decisions. Secrecy aggravates the problem by excluding people from the debate, or by narrowing their frames of reference. Nothing less than the future of American democracy is at stake.

As a practical matter, it has proven difficult to either reform or abolish the CIA, ... The logical alternative may be to simply create an entirely new agency.

This administration has embraced secrecy as a right.

This illustrates the principle that unchecked authority goes astray. In this case, it's a relatively trivial infraction. But to me the point is that we need more aggressive and penetrating oversight than we have.