Kansas attorney general sues to get Guantanamo Bay records
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' attorney general sued the U.S. Department of Defense Friday, accusing the government of failing to produce records related to President Barack Obama's proposal to move detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the Army prison at Fort Leavenworth.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed the lawsuit in federal court in Topeka. Schmidt's office said in the lawsuit it has not received any records from a freedom of information request filed in December.
"Our concerns are heightened because the administration admits it has the records we requested and initially promised to produce them but now are inexplicably dragging their feet until after the November election," Schmidt, a Republican, said in a statement. "We are seeking some court-ordered sunshine now to discourage mischief later in the final weeks before the president leaves office."
The Defense Department last year surveyed seven potential sites for housing the prisoners, including Fort Leavenworth. But the Democratic president's campaign promise to close the prison for terror suspects in Cuba has been blocked by strong congressional opposition. In fact, Congress has included prohibitions on moving Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. in annual defense policy bills.
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