TAG / PUBLIC RECORDS

Former FOIA officer Connie Clay alleged repeated transparency violations before being fired. The settlement and legal defense costs pushed the taxpayer burden to nearly five times her initial $250,000 claim.

Years of legislative emails were wiped under official policy, cutting off a critical line of inquiry into a $35,000 payoff.

A stinging Freedom of Information Commission recommendation finds the state’s top legal office demanded advance payment for records, treated transparency as secondary, and adopted an unpublished fee policy that violates Connecticut law.

Nearly six decades on, FOIA remains a cornerstone of democracy—and despite delays, loopholes and denials in state laws, the fight for transparency endures.

A judge found Fort Smith violated the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act after hiring a candidate charged with felony stalking. The fallout exposes deep cracks in transparency and oversight.

West Virginia legislators are moving to exempt themselves from FOIA. If passed, the bill would end public accountability in the Mountain State.

Legislators have passed over 1,100 exemptions to Florida’s Sunshine Law. From Dale Earnhardt’s 2001 autopsy to the governor’s travel plans, the public are left in the dark.

If approved by voters, the measure would create a commission to help citizens request government records and penalize agencies that fail to comply with those requests.