FOIA master Jason Leopold’s playbook: How persistence unlocks public records

Jason Leopold, a senior investigative reporter at Bloomberg News, is the 2026 recipient of the Brechner Freedom of Information Award for his relentless use of the Freedom of Information Act.

I try to file something every day, if not at least every week. Now, in 2026, to use FOIA effectively, understand your topic and research thoroughly before filing. Avoid vague fishing expeditions. You also need to study an agency’s organizational chart to understand how it functions and inform your request.”

Jason Leopold

Jason Leopold, a senior investigative reporter at Bloomberg News, has built a reputation as one of the country’s most relentless users of the Freedom of Information Act. He is the 2026 recipient of the Brechner Freedom of Information Award.

He previously reported for Truthout, BuzzFeed and VICE News, covering the CIA’s torture program and portions of the Mueller report. He now hosts the podcast “Disclosure“ and writes Bloomberg’s FOIA Files newsletter, documenting his battle for public records.

Over the years, he has filed thousands of FOIA requests and sued the federal government nearly 200 times. Most recently, he unearthed a trove of documents related to the Epstein case.

E&P spoke with Leopold about best practices and what he’s learned — including from his own missteps. The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

E&P: You've been a journalist for over 30 years. When did FOIA become central to your work?

JL: Initially, I depended mainly on sources to verify information. FOIA was available, but I didn't use it as persistently as I do now.

In national security reporting after 9/11, I dealt with many anonymous sources on topics like CIA operations and Guantanamo. Relying on these sources backfired when one story didn’t hold up, hurting my credibility.

This ultimately led, in 2011, to someone sharing with me a set of training materials showing how the U.S. Air Force had, for about 20 years, trained its nuclear missile officers on the morals and ethics of launching nuclear weapons. They used a quote from former Nazi SS Soldier Wernher von Braun as a moral guide, and also invoked Christianity by asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’ I published the story and embedded the documents. The Air Force suspended the training program within 24 hours and canceled it outright within a week.

That was a light bulb moment. The documents left the public not having to look at the byline. This shift happened around 2010 or 2011, and since then I have been filing multiple FOIA requests daily to fill the pipeline.

E&P: What are your best practices for filing FOIA?

JL: I try to file something every day, if not at least every week.

Now, in 2026, to use FOIA effectively, understand your topic and research thoroughly before filing. Avoid vague fishing expeditions. You also need to study an agency’s organizational chart to understand how it functions and inform your request.

When working with sources, pinpoint documents by asking about emails, dates, subject lines, reports, titles and storage locations.

If you're very targeted in what you're seeking, you could save yourself six months, sometimes a year.

E&P: How has the FOIA landscape changed over the 16 years you've been doing this aggressively?

JL: Getting records takes longer now. More requests and backlogs slow the process. Agencies also use exemptions more often.

The Trump administration has fired dozens of FOIA officers and gutted FOIA offices across various agencies. In court documents from my active lawsuits, the agencies are saying they’re understaffed in their FOIA offices.

E&P: You just took a live call from a FOIA office during the interview. What does your day-to-day relationship with FOIA officers actually look like?

JL: FOIA officers process requests and are passionate about their work. They don’t interfere with obtaining records. Some agencies will block my access at a higher level, separate from those processing requests. Relationships matter.

E&P: What do you do when you receive documents that are almost entirely redacted or when an agency simply doesn't respond?

JL: When receiving redacted documents, review the cited exemption and, if unjustified, file an appeal. You can also file a lawsuit if the reasoning for the redaction or denial does not seem to hold up.

Organizations like the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) are a few that help journalists with filings, appeals and lawsuits.

Also, the FOIA community is pretty big. Part of FOIA is understanding you are not alone. If you stand in solidarity with others who file requests and you look to each other for help, that matters.

Diane Sylvester is an award-winning 30-year multimedia news veteran. She works as a reporter, editor and newsroom strategist. She can be reached at diane.povcreative@gmail.com.