Restriction of materials related to abuses of governmental power.
36 C.F.R. § 1275.48
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) The Archivist will restrict access to materials determined during the processing period to relate to abuses of governmental power, as defined in § 1275.16(c), when:
(1) Ordered by a court;
(2) The release of the materials would violate a Federal statute; or
(3) The materials are authorized under criteria established by executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy, provided that any question as to whether materials are in fact properly classified or are properly subject to classification will be resolved in accordance with the applicable executive order or as otherwise provided by law.
(b) However, the Archivist may waive these restrictions when:
(1) The requester is engaged in a historical research project; or
(2) The requester is a former Federal official who had been appointed by President Nixon to a policymaking position and who seeks access to only those classified materials which he originated, reviewed, signed, or received while in public office; and
(3) The requester has a security clearance equivalent to the highest degree of national security classification that may be applicable to any of the materials to be examined; and
(4) The Archivist has determined that the heads of agencies having subject matter interest in the material do not object to the granting of access to the materials; and
(5) The requester has signed a statement, which declares that the requester will not publish, disclose, or otherwise compromise the classified material to be examined and that the requester has been made aware of Federal criminal statutes which prohibit the compromise or disclosure of this information.
(c) The Archivist will restrict access to any portion of materials determined to relate to abuses of governmental power when the release of those portions would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or constitute libel of a living person: Provided, That if material related to an abuse of governmental power refers to, involves, or incorporates such personal information, the Archivist will make available such personal information, or portions thereof, if such personal information, or portions thereof, is essential to an understanding of the abuses of governmental power.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-36.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026