A reader asks:
is morley vs cia about
1. getting some important George J documents released to the public?
2. getting them to pay legal/court costs?
3. all of the above
4. none of the above
a clear statement might help those of us who are confused about what we
are rooting/hoping for.
The answer is 3.
The first phase of the lawsuit was about Joannides’ files. The litigation secured the release of photos of Joannides, the revelation that he had received a medal for his JFK-related work, the disclosure that he had a residence in New Orleans, and that he worked “undercover” when serving as the CIA’s liaison to the House Select Committee.
Since 2010 the litigation has concerned whether the CIA will pay my court costs, which is standard in cases where a FOIA plaintiff wins on appeal. The goal here is not just money, but formal recognition of the public benefit of what the lawsuit revealed.
The hearing on March 19 concerned public benefit and court costs only.