Transparency

FOIA Friday: Tony Bennett FOIA delay sparks transparency concerns at UVa

BY: - December 20, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

FOIA Friday: Video of former Illinois deputy police chief’s DUI arrest in Virginia stays hidden

BY: - December 13, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

FOIA Friday: Records show protests led to policy changes at Va. colleges

BY: - December 6, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

Investigation finds nearly $500,000 in waste, fraud, and abuse in Richmond Elections Office

BY: - November 26, 2024

An investigation into allegations of misuse of public resources by Richmond General Registrar Keith Balmer and his office has confirmed 25 of 26 claims of waste, fraud, and abuse, leading to nearly $500,000 in wasted taxpayer funds, according to a report released this week by the city’s inspector general.  The city council is now calling […]

FOIA Friday: Louisa resident wants more county government meetings advertised

BY: - November 22, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

FOIA Friday: PETA threatened litigation when George Mason University delayed sending records

BY: - November 15, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

FOIA Friday: Professor, students find NDAs between localities and data center companies

BY: - October 25, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

FOIA Friday: Nonprofit sues Criminal Justice Services for withholding records of officers

BY: - October 18, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

FOIA Friday: Hopewell treasurer indicted on record forgery and fraud charges

BY: - October 11, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]

Commentary

No, FEMA Helene funds aren’t going to undocumented immigrants, despite Youngkin appointee’s tweet

BY: - October 8, 2024

We’re four weeks away from electing the country’s next commander-in-chief and Virginia’s representatives in the U.S. Senate and Congress, and in the wake of one of the most devastating hurricanes the Southeast has seen in years. It’s an especially bad moment to be spreading misinformation online.  It seems Rooz Dadabhoy has a poor sense of […]

Commentary

Secrecy over officers’ names, pay keeps Virginians in the dark

BY: - October 7, 2024

Virginia’s feckless Freedom of Information Act – so riddled with exemptions and other shortcomings that transparency experts say it’s subpar compared to other states – has suffered another loss. Recently, a Chesterfield County judge sided with that locality’s police department in refusing a citizen’s request to reveal the names and salaries of hundreds of its […]

FOIA Friday: Possible campus civil rights violations investigated

BY: - October 4, 2024

One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in […]