Categories: OLD Media Moves

Fed refuses Bloomberg's FOI request

The Federal Reserve refused a request by Bloomberg News to disclose the recipients of more than $2 trillion of emergency loans from U.S. taxpayers and the assets the central bank is accepting as collateral, according to a Bloomberg story by Mark Pittman.

Pittman reports, “The Fed supplied copies of three e-mails in response to a request that it disclose the identities of those supplying data on collateral as well as their contracts.

“While the senders and recipients of the messages were revealed, the contents were erased except for two phrases identifying a vendor as ‘IDC.’ One of the e-mails’ subject lines refers to ‘Interactive Data — Auction Rate Security Advisory May 1, 2008.’

“Brian Willinsky, a spokesman for Bedford, Massachusetts-based Interactive Data Corp., a seller of fixed-income securities information, declined to comment.

“‘Notwithstanding calls for enhanced transparency, the Board must protect against the substantial, multiple harms that might result from disclosure,’ Jennifer J. Johnson, the secretary for the Fed’s Board of Governors, said in a letter e-mailed to Bloomberg News.

“‘In its considered judgment and in view of current circumstances, it would be a dangerous step to release this otherwise confidential information,’ she wrote.”

Read more here.

Recent Posts

Dynamo hires former Business Insider executive editor Harrington

Former Business Insider executive editor Rebecca Harrington has been hired by Dynamo to be its…

1 day ago

Bloomberg TV hires Kerubo as desk producer

Bloomberg Television has hired Brenda Kerubo as a desk producer in London. She will be covering Europe's…

1 day ago

Jittery CNBC staff reassured by new boss

In a meeting at CNBC headquarters Thursday afternoon, incoming boss Mark Lazarus presented a bullish…

1 day ago

Making business news accessible to a wider audience

Ritika Gupta, the BBC's North American business correspondent, was interviewed by Global Woman magazine about…

2 days ago

Rest of World hires Lo as China reporter

Rest of World has hired Kinling Lo as a China reporter. Lo was previously a…

2 days ago

Bloomberg rises to No. 7 biz news website

Bloomberg News saw strong unique visitor growth to its website in October, passing Fox Business…

2 days ago