A presentation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Records Management Division uncovered by Paul Galante as part of our Ronald Reagan FBI file crowdsource outline the process used by FOIA officers to search for records.

In this week’s FOIA round-up, public records show massive federal spending on protecting Confederate cemeteries post-Charlottesville, the Trump administration’s policy of withholding documents requested with FOIA at the Fish and Wildlife Service, and police fraternity allowing cops to escape DUI charges in Illinois. Also, an extensive FOIA-focused report details systemic flaws in the Illinois state FOIA process.

This FOIA Friday coincides with a particularly special day for transparency enthusiasts throughout the world. Celebrate by quizzing yourself on global FOI facts and sending us your own!

The Central Intelligence Agency’s declassified archives include several copies of one of its long-term plans, produced in 1980 and originally classified SECRET. The copies of the Summary Report reveal two things about the Agency: it was, in the immediate lead-up to the Reagan administration, determined to expand its scope of operations and collections, and seemingly to increase its covert activities, and it’s either negligent or incompetent when it comes to figuring out what’s actually classified and deciding what files can be released.

The CIA’s FOIA office has for years relied on a single fax machine, prompting jokes and criticism regarding the otherwise cutting-edge CIA insistence on the ‘80s technology instead of email. So why, in 2016, when the CIA finally implemented an email account for FOIA for requesters to use, wasn’t there greater fanfare? Because the CIA never told requesters about it.