WASHINGTON (CN) - The U.S. State Department refuses to provide meaningful information to the public about import restrictions on ancient coins from Cyprus, Italy and China, imposes "unfair, unworkable and unnecessary" rules on importers, and repeatedly blows off their FOIA requests for information about the rules, the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild claims in Federal Court.
The Guild says it "does not in any way support, condone or defend the looting of designated archaeological sites, nor the violation of any nation's laws concerning the import or export of antiquities." But it says it can't follow the rules if the State Department doesn't tell them what the rules are. And to the extent the State Department reveals the rules, the Guild says, State has repeatedly refused to reveal how it made the rules - which also is illegal.
See complaint.
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