OLC: We'll See You in Court!

On Wednesday, the Justice Department requested a 90-day stay so it could have more time to review three torture memos that we’ve specifically re-requested for release through our five-year-old Freedom of Information Act request. These three memos, written by then-head of the department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), contain authorizations to subject detainees in CIA custody to harsh interrogation methods that amount to torture, and the legal opinions that justify them.

We sent the judge on the case a letter asking him to deny the request for a 90-day stay. We’ll be back before the judge on February 18 arguing against the stay.

Last month, ProPublica built a web page that details which OLC memos are still secret. Those last three at the bottom: those are the ones we want. The public has waited long enough.

We were so encouraged when, in his first week in office, President Obama resoundingly rejected torture, and renewed his commitment to transparency and the rule of law. We hope the administration stays true to these principles as this case proceeds.