Bloomberg files FOIA lawsuit over bailout documents

Bloomberg News filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Federal Reserve system Friday, seeking documents related to the financial services crisis, the news service reported.

The suit, filed in federal court in New York, asks for documents the government says are held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The bank, one of a dozen in the Federal Reserve system, has not complied with FOIA because it has not been considered a government agency.

In contrast, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington is subject to FOIA. However, the bulk of the documents Bloomberg wants are housed at the New York bank, the Fed told Bloomberg.

According to Bloomberg, the Fed has made loans totaling $1.5 trillion to banks, not including the $700 billion bailout package. Bloomberg is seeking information on the collateral the banks posted for the loans. The news service’s FOIA requests have gone unanswered.