Department employees may respond to congressional requests without first contacting OLA when the request is for public information, as defined below, only. Congressional requests for public information must be reported to OLA only if: (1) the congressional request is in letter form (including letters delivered by fax or email); (2) the Member of Congress or staff expresses any opinion about the nature, status, or propriety of any government action or inaction; (3) the Member of Congress or staff suggests any government action or inaction; or (4) the context or nature of the congressional contact creates the appearance that the Member of Congress or staff seeks any government action or inaction.

Public information includes:

1. • Administrative information, such as office locations, operational hours, public phone numbers, and hiring procedures.
2. • Documents that are already part of public court records and not under seal or otherwise restricted, such as filed indictments, briefs, etc.
3. • News releases or other materials meant for public distribution.
4. • The time and place for the next public court hearing, if already announced.

NOTE: Repeated requests for public information from the same Member of Congress or staff, or from different Members of Congress or staff concerning the same matter or case, should be promptly reported to OLA. If you are unsure if certain information should be released, or whether it is proper to give certain assistance requested, please contact OLA.

[added December 2019]