Court Upholds Broad FOIA Fee Exemption for Media & Groups

Advocacy groups and nontraditional news outlets should have an easier time avoiding fees under the Freedom of Information Act under a decision issued Tuesday by a federal appeals court in Washington.   The ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the Federal Trade Commission and a district court had been too dismissive of fee waivers sought by a fledgling conservative group, Cause of Action, when it filed FOIA requests with the FTC.