U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy

Patrick J. Leahy served as a U.S. Senator from Vermont from 1975 to 2023. First elected in 1974, Leahy was Vermont’s first and only elected Democratic senator and became widely known as FOIA’s best friend in Congress.

Over his nearly five decades in the Senate, Leahy was a key figure in strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), most notably as the principal sponsor of the Electronic FOIA Amendments of 1996, which modernized the law to address the growing use of electronic records. Earlier in his career, in 1981, he led a successful fight against proposals by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, that would have restricted citizen access to federal records and made it easier for businesses to delay the release of non-confidential information.

Leahy’s career included chairing several powerful Senate committees, including Appropriations, Judiciary, and Agriculture, and serving twice as President pro tempore of the Senate. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Michael’s College in Vermont in 1961 and his law degree from Georgetown University in 1964. After practicing law in Burlington, he served as State’s Attorney for Chittenden County from 1966 to 1974 before his election to the Senate.

(Updated April 2025)