Atheists Settle Lawsuit Seeking Information on Ben Carson’s Bible Studies

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has settled a lawsuit launched by left-wing and atheist groups that sought information about HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s participation in Bible studies.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington announced last week that the federal agency will pay $17,800 to settle the suit, which revolved around a Freedom of Information Act request designed to hold government accountable but not intended to infringe on individual privacy.

According to the federal government, there are nine exemptions for gaining information through a FOIA, including when providing that information “could reasonable be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

But the left-wing atheist groups believe differently, citing its right to have information about private and voluntary Bible studies:

FFRF and CREW filed suit in January 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging HUD’s pattern and practice of denying fee waivers on FOIA requests where disclosure of the documents was “likely to cast the agency or HUD secretary in a negative light.”

FFRF and CREW have subsequently received the desired documents. In the settlement, HUD has agreed to address the remaining issues by offering two sessions of in-person mandatory fee waiver training for the FOIA office, issuing updated fee waiver guidance for employees, and paying costs and attorneys fees to the plaintiffs ($14,400 to CREW and $3,400 to FFRF).

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[These are not fines or punitive damages, they are 'fees'. A shakedown. --Editor]