June 19, 2008

Bredesen Administration Flack Continues To Defy Open Records Law

It has now been 100 days since I made a rather routine open-records request to the Bredesen administration, and specifically Department of Finance & Administration public information officer Lola Potter, for access to the video taken of blasting (for that underground ballroom) at the governor's mansion construction site. Attempts to get a response from Potter and administration attorney Janet Kleinfelter - whom Potter brought into the situation - and have been ignored.

I'd write a longer update, but there has been no movement, and no attempt to follow the law, by the administration since I posted this update on April 16.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Center for Public Policy's lawsuit is pending against Potter and the administration for their willful failure to provide requested open records for more than nine months.

And a recent Tennessean article told story of yet another instance in which Potter and her bosses at F&A went out of their way to deny a member of the public (in this case, a reporter) access to what clearly is a public record.