Lawsuit accuses state department, DOJ of stonewalling FOIA requests regarding climate office personnel

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FIRST ON FOX: The State Department is facing heightened pressure to disclose information regarding its climate office staff members after a new lawsuit accuses them of stonewalling. 

Power the Future (PTF), an energy watchdog group, submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for an unredacted list of former Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry’s staff in January.

SPEC has an estimated $13.9 million annual budget from the State Department with approval for 45 personnel, Fox News Digital previously reported, but Kerry has remained quiet about his climate staff over the years.

PTF filed a lawsuit against the State Department in February after reportedly experiencing a system of delays in the disclosure of the names and job titles of Kerry's staff, which they said were highly redacted in its initial release. As of September, the department has reportedly not disclosed all the members of the climate office, prompting PTF to take their action a step further, Fox News Digital has learned. 

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Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attends the Viva Technology show at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles on May 23, 2024 in Paris, France.  (Chesnot)

A new PTF complaint, filed on Oct. 3, claims that the Biden administration's "climate" operation at SPEC is displaying a "clear pattern and practice" of delayed FOIA responses. 

The lawsuit, one of 14 filed by PTF against the State Department, also names the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia on claims that they are keeping information regarding SPEC’s operations from the public. 

"For years, Power The Future has sought legitimate information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on John Kerry’s Climate Office, its budget, staff, mission, and outside coordination, and for years we have been told, ‘No,’" Daniel Tuner, Founder & Executive Director of PTF, told Fox News Digital.

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The suit also claims that the agency is going against congressional standards for FOIA response times.

John Podesta participates in the first-ever National Outdoor Recreation Executive Forum hosted by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable at Decatur House on May 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi)

"Despite previous lawsuits, this administration continues to coordinate a blockade keeping any information about this secret office from reaching the public, especially before the November election," Turner said. "John Kerry is not above the law, and the weaponization of federal agencies turning them into the political machine demonstrates a level of corruption typical of the green movement but deeply disturbing in our federal government."

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The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the office of the SPEC regarding potential conflict of interests between the office's staff members and "leftist environmental groups."

Kerry stepped down as Biden's climate envoy in January and was replaced by John Podesta.

Efforts to reach the State Department, the DOJ, the SPEC and the federal U.S. Attorney for D.C. were unsuccessful.