Brechner Freedom of Information Project

A national hunting advocacy group is alleging that members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission violated the state’s Public Records Act and is asking Gov. Bob Ferguson to remove them from office. In a lawsuit, The Sportsmen’s Alliance says records it obtained show commissioners discussed agency business via text…

Thomas M. Susman, a longtime FOI champion, recounts the development of the 1974 Freedom of Information Act amendments in a new article published in the Journal of Civic Information.  The piece outlines the legislative process and key figures involved, including Sen. Edward Kennedy, Ralph Nader, and Antonin Scalia. Susman also…

The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the Trump administration for failing to release records identifying industrial polluters who requested exemptions from Clean Air Act protections.  In March, the Trump administration invited fossil fuel companies and other industries to apply for exemptions from limits on hazardous pollutants like mercury and…

University of North Carolina professor David Ardia argues that the public’s right to access government information should be a constitutional right—not just a statutory one.  In a Arizona Law Review article, Ardia writes that access to information is essential for democratic self-governance and should be recognized as a constitutional safeguard…

In a recent opinion, the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed that the district’s mayor’s office must publish agency budget requests under the city’s Freedom of Information Act, and that failure to proactively post the records could result in punishment. The case, District of Columbia v. Terris, Pravlik & Millian…

A survey of investigative journalists found that limited access to government records and sources remains the greatest challenge to holding public officials accountable.  The survey, conducted for the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability at the University of Florida, gathered responses from 51 investigative reporters and editors across the U.S.…

In Minnesota, a Ramsey County judge has ordered the city of St. Paul to pay a resident more than $30,000 in damages and $750 in court costs for violating Minnesota’s open records law, according to reporting from KSTP.  The case stems from a public records request submitted by attorney and…

A coalition of 40 California newsrooms has published a study examining the challenges of large-scale public records requests. The California Reporting Project developed a tool, RequestAtlas, to manage unstructured data obtained through public record requests related to police use of force and misconduct.  The study found that early attempts to…

A Fulton County Superior Court judge in Georgia has ruled that the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF) must release 15 unredacted public records related to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, known as “Cop City,” within 30 days. The records include board meeting agendas, budget documents, and emails with Georgia Attorney…

A May study titled “Lessons from the Dissolution of Mexico’s Information Commission” examines the March closure of Mexico’s national transparency commission. Researchers Gregory Michener, Margaret Kwoka, and others analyzed the shutdown and identified lack of public engagement as a key factor.  The commission, once regarded as a global model for…

Access to public records continues to vary widely by state, with Alabama ranking last in compliance, according to a recent analysis. While neighboring Florida responded promptly to a reporter’s request regarding a swatting incident at a U.S. senator’s beach house, Alabama agencies delayed or denied similar requests related to a…

A new article in the Seattle University Law Review by former Brechner FOI Project Director Frank LoMonte looks at what is described as a “hole in the heart” of federal and state freedom-of-information laws: The absence of legal requirements to actually retain high-value records – or any meaningful penalty for failing to do so. In…