TAG / TRANSPARENCY

RESULTS

CORRUPTION

Connecticut Attorney General’s Office Reprimanded for Pay-to-Play Public Records Policy

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the state’s top legal office demanded advance payment for records, treated transparency as secondary, and adopted an unpublished fee policy that violates Connecticut law.

CORRUPTION

Michigan Journalist Sues State Attorney General’s Office Over “Grant-and-Delay” FOIA Practices

Despite repeated reform efforts, Michigan’s FOIA remains ineffective, leaving citizens and journalists blocked from accessing critical government records.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Georgia Election Board Settles Transparency Lawsuit, Agrees to End Private Email Use

Transparency advocates score a win as Georgia’s election board settles a public records case, mandating official accounts for all communications and ensuring open access under state law.

HUMAN RIGHTS

UK Watchdog Cracks Down on Public Authorities for FOIA Failures

Decades-old promises of accountability falter as citizens, journalists and families are left waiting for answers, forcing legal action by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

CORRUPTION

Grand Blanc Township Charges Reporter $164,000 in FOIA Fees After Sudden Suspension of Fire Chief

Michigan township demands an unprecedented fee for public records as questions mount over the chief’s administrative leave in the wake of the LDS church shooting.

CORRUPTION

Fired for Following the Law: Iowa Settles With Ex-Records Custodian for $600,000

A former Iowa records custodian says she was pushed out for releasing public information. Now taxpayers—not the officials implicated—are footing the bill.

CORRUPTION

Memphis Law Student Wins Landmark Public Records Suit Against City

After seven months of delays and repeated denials, Tyler Foster forced Memphis to comply with public records law. His win could set a precedent for greater transparency in city government.

CORRUPTION

Scottish MP Introduces FOI Bill After Inquiry Reveals “Industrial-Scale” Message Deletions

The reform would make it a crime to delete government communications, following revelations that top officials wiped WhatsApp messages during the pandemic.

VIOLATIONS

Silence as Policy: How the Columbia Journalism Review Protects Its Own and Abandons the Public

When conflicts of interest in major news coverage were exposed, CJR refused to respond, eroding public trust in media oversight.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Double-Edged Sword: AI Boosts FOIA Efficiency While Threatening Public Access

AI is speeding up FOIA responses, but may also be creating legal and ethical hazards that could undermine public requests and government accountability.