It makes members of the public wonder if there is an internal agenda at work which is opposed to the will of the people. Why else would an agency need to obfuscate and hide its decision making process from the freedom of information? 

At stake is whether the FDA followed their and the federal government's own rules when drafting the "deeming" rules.  Vape startups have been running circles around big tobacco for the past five years with an apparently safer alternative to smoking and more effective aid to quitting than chantix/nicorette. 

But, If many statutes and rules were bent in order to grow this bureaucracy and protect the existing tobacco brands, then their deceptions will have major payoff for big tobacco and pharma. 

...and the lobbyists that Obama appointed to staff this department will pat themselves on the back for a job well done.