Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 340 views

    2024.02.14 Letter To Chairman Williams - State Dept.

    Uploaded by

    Gabe Kaminsky
    The Department of State wrote a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business to express concern that sensitive documents provided by the Department to the Committee regarding the Global Engagement Center were publicly released without consulting the Department first. The documents were marked "Sensitive But Unclassified" and "Not For Public Release" as public release could harm programs and partners. However, the documents were published in an article with the sensitive markings still visible. The Department remains committed to working with the Committee but may need to provide sensitive information only in a private setting in the future.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    2024.02.14 Letter To Chairman Williams - State Dept.

    Uploaded by

    Gabe Kaminsky
    340 views2 pages
    The Department of State wrote a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business to express concern that sensitive documents provided by the Department to the Committee regarding the Global Engagement Center were publicly released without consulting the Department first. The documents were marked "Sensitive But Unclassified" and "Not For Public Release" as public release could harm programs and partners. However, the documents were published in an article with the sensitive markings still visible. The Department remains committed to working with the Committee but may need to provide sensitive information only in a private setting in the future.

    Original Description:

    Obtained by Gabe Kaminsky/Washington Examiner

    Original Title

    2024.02.14 Letter to Chairman Williams - State Dept. (1)

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The Department of State wrote a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business to express concern that sensitive documents provided by the Department to the Committee regarding the Global Engagement Center were publicly released without consulting the Department first. The documents were marked "Sensitive But Unclassified" and "Not For Public Release" as public release could harm programs and partners. However, the documents were published in an article with the sensitive markings still visible. The Department remains committed to working with the Committee but may need to provide sensitive information only in a private setting in the future.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    340 views2 pages

    2024.02.14 Letter To Chairman Williams - State Dept.

    Uploaded by

    Gabe Kaminsky
    The Department of State wrote a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business to express concern that sensitive documents provided by the Department to the Committee regarding the Global Engagement Center were publicly released without consulting the Department first. The documents were marked "Sensitive But Unclassified" and "Not For Public Release" as public release could harm programs and partners. However, the documents were published in an article with the sensitive markings still visible. The Department remains committed to working with the Committee but may need to provide sensitive information only in a private setting in the future.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    February 14, 2023

    The Honorable
    Roger Williams, Chairman
    Committee on Small Business
    House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

    Dear Mr. Chairman:

    I am writing to express the Department’s deep concern regarding certain


    information that appears to have been publicly released by the Committee
    without prior consultation with the Department.

    The Small Business Committee sent a letter on June 7 to Secretary Blinken


    regarding the Global Engagement Center (GEC). The Department responded
    by providing documents on December 3, 2023. Those documents were
    marked “SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED” and “PRODUCED TO COMMITTEE
    ON SMALL BUSINESS, NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE,” as the Department had
    determined that public release of this information could jeopardize the
    GEC’s programs and/or cause harm to the Department’s implementing
    partners.

    However, on January 9, the Washington Examiner published an article


    regarding the Committee’s investigation, and linking to the documents
    produced by the Department—still clearly showing their “SENSITIVE BUT
    UNCLASSIFIED” and “PRODUCED TO COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS, NOT
    FOR PUBLIC RELEASE,” markings, which it reportedly obtained from the
    Committee.1 The Committee made no effort to consult with the Department
    to protect or even ascertain any particular sensitivities before making the
    information public.

    1
    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2789357/biden-administration-gop-incomplete-records-censorship-
    investigation/
    The Department continues to respond to the Committee’s requests and
    remains committed to accommodating your need for information regarding
    the Global Engagement Center. However, without better understanding how
    the Committee will utilize this sensitive information, in the future the
    Department may be forced to only provide the Committee with sensitive
    information that is not suitable for public release in an in camera setting.

    Sincerely,

    Naz Durakoğlu
    Assistant Secretary
    Bureau of Legislative Affairs

    cc: The Honorable Nydia Velazquez, Ranking Member


    House Small Business Committee

    You might also like