Freedom of Information Act: Delaware’s AG must uphold the spirit of the law

The spirit of the Freedom of Information Act grants interested members of the public access to government records and open meetings for the purpose of increasing transparency and accountability. The State of Delaware says that, “Delawareans have the right to expect government transparency, and our State’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guarantees citizens’ access to information about our state and local governments.” When government agencies fail to uphold the public’s “right to know” by restricting access to information and meetings, it raises questions and gives reason for the public to grow increasingly distrustful of government.

The Department of Justice, per Delaware’s FOIA statute and Public Records Law, has the responsibility to enforce and respond to complaints that arise in this exchange of information. It is therefore incumbent upon the Attorney General to ensure that state agencies and other public bodies are compliant with their obligations of these laws.

This includes holding agencies accountable for overreach of executive privilege, and encouraging agencies and other applicable bodies to always err on the side of inclusion instead of redaction. It should be the role of government to keep the public informed and engaged, rather than in the dark and walking away with more questions than answers.

As your next Attorney General, I pledge to build the public’s trust in government by dramatically increasing transparency by pushing the Executive branch and the General Assembly to promote the following:

  1. Strengthen continued investment in Open Data technology and further expansion of the Governor’s Open Data Council
  2. Work to upgrade and digitize the State of Delaware’s FOIA portals so that Delawareans have access to 21st-Century technology
  3. Increase public accountability and oversight of the State’s use of major settlement funds (i.e. mortgage crisis funds or civil forfeiture funds)
  4. Work with the General Assembly to make the FOIA appeals process more accessible to low-income and disadvantaged Delawareans

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Delaware’s criminal justice system is broken. We cannot afford to maintain the status quo. www.ChrisJohnsonforAG.com #CJ4CJreform

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