After 5 Months & FOIA Requests, Secretary Of Commerce Pritzker Releases Names

After Five Months And Numerous FOIA Requests, Secretary Of Commerce Pritzker Releases Names Of Her October 2016 Delegation

The Honorable Penny Pritzker, United States Secretary of Commerce (DOC), has released the names of the DOC staff who accompanied her to the Republic of Cuba in October 2015. 

The Secretary and her staff spent five months attempting to conceal the names of DOC staff, both those accompanying her to the Republic of Cuba and DOC employees visiting the Republic of Cuba since December 2014 independent of her visit; requiring multiple requests under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The Honorable Thomas Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), also required FOIA requests to obtain the names of the staff who accompanied him to the Republic of Cuba in November 2015 and USDA employees visiting the Republic of Cuba since December 2014 independent of his visit; requiring multiple requests under provisions of the FOIA.

The Honorable Anthony Foxx, United States Secretary of Transportation (DOT), released the names of staff who accompanied him to the Republic of Cuba in February 2016 and DOT employees visiting the Republic of Cuba since December 2014 independent of his visit without requiring requests under provisions of the FOIA.

The Obama Administration has required that the FOIA be used to request the names and titles of most employees of the United States government who have visited the Republic of Cuba since 17 December 2014 for the purpose of official discussions with representatives of the government of the Republic of Cuba.  Yet, the United States Department of State confirms that such information is not considered to be classified, secret or top secret; just generally not provided.

With more than one hundred and forty (140) employees having visited (not including United States government employees preparing for the 21/22 March 2016 visit by President Obama to the Republic of Cuba), and more than sixty (60) representatives of the government of the Republic of Cuba having visited the United States, there is a disconnect…. President Obama is actively marketing the revisions in the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Cuba, yet does not want everyone to know who is participating in the process.

The names and titles of representatives of the United States government who have visited the Republic of Cuba since 17 December 2014 is of value to the United States business community as the data provides a) evidence of activity b) specific areas of engagement and c) specific contacts for representatives of United States companies.