U.S. district judge to right-wing activists: No, you can't use FOIA to out gay people at the DOJ

[bigtree]

The Raw Story ?@RawStory 1m
Judge tells conservative group: No, you can't use FOIA to out gay people at the DOJ http://ow.ly/wNmMi


In a decision memo handed down Monday, a U.S. district judge denied a FOIA request by the far-right activist group Judicial Watch in which conservative activists tried to obtain the names of LGBT employees at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle wrote in her decision that to allow Judicial Watch access to those documents “creates a palpable threat to privacy” of employees at the Department. Huvelle wrote that she was unwilling to compromise that privacy for the “relatively inconsequential (if not non-existent) interests” of the conservative group.

On August 23, 2012, LGBT employees at the Justice Department held the “Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair,” where they were addressed by Attorney General Eric Holder. The event was sponsored by the LGBT Bar Association.

Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the federal government on August 27 of that year, demanding full access to a laundry list of documents including Holder’s cell-phone number, his email address, e-mails “discussing the drafting of the Attorney General’s speech” at the conference, “the cell phone numbers of third parties associated with an LGBT organization,” “the cell phone and home numbers and personal e-mail addresses of various employees of the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security,” emails between “Department employees, including personal commentary and discussions among colleagues inferring the sexual orientation of some Department employees who would be involved at the conference.”

When its FOIA request was denied, Judicial Watch sued the Department, alleging a “cover-up . . .”


read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/13/judge-conservative-group-cant-have-docs-that-would-out-lgbt-justice-dept-employees/

[RKP5637]

1. These individuals are just fucken sick. Perhaps what we need is an investigation into these Bigots

and homophobes so as to provide them with the mental health help they desperately need.

[Ikonoklast]

2. Judicial Witchhunt.

Nothing but bullies who never grew emotionally past high school.

[msanthrope]

3. Huh...I wonder if Mr. Klayman's supporters on this board will ignore this thread.....

Here's a blast from the past, lauding this nutcase....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024184960

[Archae]

4. Judicial Watch and Klayman are suing each other.

They can't stand each other.

[msanthrope]

5. He sued his own mother, too. Klayman founded Judicial Watch and then went on to

Freedom Watch, went full birther, and then filed Bruce Fein's NSA lawsuit template....and a portion of DU takes that jerk seriously.

[Archae]

7. He's gone far kookier than your think...

Look at these, from "Right Wing Watch"

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/search/node/klayman%20type:blog

[msanthrope]

9. I have personal experience with this clown. Watching DUers fawn over his

NSA lawsuit was hilarious.

[FSogol]

10. I'd say "disgusting" in lieu of "hilarious." n/t

[Archae]

11. It's painfully obvious the only reason Klayman sued the NSA was to slam Obama.

[msanthrope]

12. Larry is a birther and a racist. The Libertarians chose him to be the public face of the NSA

lawsuit that Bruce Fein drafted for very careful reasons.

[Archae]

13. This Friday Klayman says he'll be in DC.

To "overthrow" Obama.

I'd be willing to bet money, like the rest of these "rallies," it'll look like this:

[msanthrope]

14. Who is going to guard the porta potties? nt

[Archae]

16. We are never going to let that one go...

[msanthrope]

17. Not ever. nt

[nykym]

6. I would hope that the judge

in the lawsuit against the department throws it out and makes Judicial Watch furnish names, addresses, phone, numbers, cell numbers and email addresses just for spite.

[Maven]

8. Thank you Judge Huvelle

[closeupready]

15. Excellent decision by Huvelle. I'd like to see privacy MORE protected,

and if Judicial Watch were really about freedom and democracy, they would, too. I guess the fact that they are working to INVADE privacy rather than PROTECT it puts paid to the suspicion that they are nothing more than a partisan hate group.