Disclosure

Afleveringen

1. He Brings Sunlight to College Football

   29 oktober 2026 · 32 min

   Afspelen
   Is your alma mater inviting the government to monitor its football fans on game day? How much do Big Ten schools earn renting out their mascots? You can FOIA that – or visit FOIAball.com, where journalist David Covucci adds transparency to the big business of collegiate sports. Covucci tells Jason and Matt what he learned from FOIAing Osama Bin Laden’s porn collection and how he applies it to a multibillion-dollar industry run by public institutions. Matt and Jason let David in on their FOIA Soundtrack playlist. Lees meer

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2. The SEC Roots Out Golf on the Taxpayer Dime

   22 oktober 2026 · 28 min

   Afspelen
   When the Securities and Exchange Commission announced earlier this year that it had disciplined workers for golfing on the job, investigative reporter Jason Leopold shot off a FOIA request. Co-host Matt Topic, who is an accomplished golfer, and Jason, who isn’t, pore over records he received about the SEC’s internal investigation. They learn how a few words overheard on a golf course launched a Caddyshack-worthy investigation into allegations of government waste and abuse – or, in this instance, “known golf activity.” Lees meer

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3. The Secret History of the Mar-a-Lago Document Seizure

   15 oktober 2026 · 42 min

   Afspelen
   Investigative reporter Jason Leopold and attorney Matt Topic take viewers inside a yearslong effort to head off document destruction at the White House during President Trump’s first term. Drawing from government documents (and The Big Lebowski), they reveal how the US National Archives and Records Administration tried to alert the feds to potentially illegal record disposal. And they learn why FBI and Justice Department personnel clashed before searching Trump's Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Voice acting by Mandy Hull. Lees meer

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4. Introducing: Disclosure Season 2

   15 oktober 2026 · 1 min

   Afspelen
   Disclosure, the podcast dedicated to revealing the government’s inner workings, is back for Season 2 in audio and video. Lees meer

   By law, nearly every move federal agencies make—every email, every memo, every receipt—belongs to the public. The key to gaining access is the Freedom of Information Act. In theory, FOIA obligates the government to open its files. But it also allows the government to hold back certain details, meaning that forcing transparency often requires a fight.

   Join Bloomberg investigative reporter Jason Leopold and First Amendment attorney Matt Topic for a guided tour of explosive details, bureaucratic foibles and details that government officials never wanted you to know. Listen to new episodes of Disclosure, from Bloomberg & No Smiling, starting Oct. 15, wherever you get your podcasts.

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5. Asking the FBI to Release the Santa Files

   16 december 2025 · 38 min

   Afspelen
   One Christmas, Matt dashed off a letter to the FBI’s FOIA office: Please search your old investigation files for the name Santa Claus, he requested, and send me the first few pages you find. What a simple holiday wish taught us about one agency’s spirit of giving. Lees meer

   The Disclosure podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. For early and ad-free access to episodes, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

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6. These Federal Officers Wield the Power of Transparency

   9 december 2025 · 49 min

   Afspelen
   Ask the US government for public records, and your request will go to a federal employee who holds the keys to what gets released and what doesn’t. Jason and Matt get a rare look inside a government Freedom of Information Act operation from Michael Sarich, who worked his way up from a FOIA post at the Bureau of Land Management to FOIA director at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this episode, they discuss weird requests, big backlogs and the latest challenges to government transparency. Lees meer

   For early and ad-free access to this episode on Apple, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

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7. What to Expect When You’re Expecting the Epstein Files

   2 december 2025 · 40 min

   Afspelen
   The new Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the government to release a trove of documents from its Jeffrey Epstein investigations – minus whatever documents the Justice Department determines need to be withheld from the public. Jason and Matt dig into the FBI’s massive review of the Epstein files earlier this year, unearth an inventory of the government’s Epstein records and explore an alternate way the files could go public -- via a long-running, under-the-radar court battle. Lees meer

   For early and ad-free access to this episode on Apple, subscribe at www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts.

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8. To Crack Wu-Tang Album's Secrets, FOIA FOIA Y'All (Feat. Open Mike Eagle)

   25 november 2025 · 35 min

   Afspelen
   Exclusivity was the point of Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Only one copy was produced. A few minutes of it were played -- once -- in public. It sold at auction, with the condition it be heard only in private. And the album may have remained shrouded in mystery, were it not for a pharma bro, a Justice Department seizure... and the power of the Freedom of Information Act. Lees meer

   Thanks to Open Mike Eagle for reading this week's Justice Department documents.

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9. Waiting for Doge

   18 november 2025 · 43 min

   Afspelen
   Earlier this year, newly minted young workers from the Department of Government Efficiency slashed USAID spending and hobbled the US Institute of Peace. Meanwhile, at the Peace Corps, staffers spent weeks preparing for their own mystery guest from Doge – ensuring that whoever arrived would have computers, a quiet conference room and weekend access, according to public records obtained under FOIA. Special thanks/apologies to Phil Collins, Loverboy, Slayer and Megadeth for this episode’s rich tapestry of musical touchpoints. Lees meer

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10. Our Deep Dive for White House Records Starts in the Toilet

    11 november 2025 · 44 min

    Afspelen
    In August 2022, on the day the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago to recover files from Donald Trump's first term, another allegation was swirling around – that presidential papers may have been flushed down a White House toilet. This raised a lot of questions. How many documents could a person flush down a toilet? Could they be recovered? Did the FBI ever investigate? Join hosts Jason Leopold and Matt Topic, and producers Heather Schroering and Sean Cannon, on a journey of sinkholes, fatbergs and the power of public record searches. Lees meer

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