Freedom Of Information Act Doesn’t Cover Everything.

Plaintiff is in the real estate business. After the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] received complaints that plaintiff violated the law, plaintiff requested the names of the complainants under the Freedom of Information Act. HUD and the federal trial court invoked Exemption 6 of the Act, and redacted the names of the complainants from the documents requested. Exemption 6, of the Freedom of Information Act, [5 U.S.C. § 552], exempts “personnel and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”  The Ninth Circuit affirmed. (Prudential Locations LLC v. U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development  (Ninth Cir.; October 9, 2013.) (Case No. 09-16995).)