FIRE adds experienced FOIA litigator Samahon

FIRE can now help freelancers pursue public-interest stories more effectively via a critical and elusive capacity—the ability to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests backed by a lawsuit. 

It's part of augmented reporting services at FIRE, which now also includes high-level research expertise.

For decades, journalists have struggled to act on the legally protected right to secure documents and intelligence from government. 

Increasingly, federal agencies won’t adequately respond to public-records requests unless faced with litigation.  

Such litigation is the province of Tuan Samahon, a tenured law professor at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law and a constitutional and FOIA transparency advocate for journalists, academics, and authors. 

Having successfully sued agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency and the Internal Revenue Service for public records, Samahon advises FIRE-supported reporters how to file and manage FOIA requests with litigation in mind—and then coordinates any necessary lawsuits.

FIRE is honored to offer Samahon’s expertise and we are pleased that he has already begun working with FIRE-supported reporters.  

To learn more about Samahon, visit the Leadership page.

To apply for FIRE's help with FOIA requests, visit Reporting Consultancy.

For general information on FIRE services, visit Guidelines and Application.