Lovettsville Sued Over FOIA Charge
Representatives of the Town of Lovettsville are scheduled to be in District Court on Dec. 20 in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a town resident who alleges the town illegally required advance payment to complete a Freedom of Information Act request she filed.
According to the court filing, Caitlin Keefe requested information related to a post Councilwoman Renee Edmonston made on a closed members-only Facebook page.
The town required a $115 payment to cover the anticipated six hours of time needed to comply with the request.
The petition cites state law that permits allows the government to require advance payment only win the cost is expected to exceed $200.
I’m not privy to the specifics about this dispute. But in general, I think it’s a good thing to hold governmental entities accountable when it comes to FOIA requests. I’ve read about quite excessive FOIA fees for rather simple requests. That has a chilling effect on the citizenry’s right to know what’s going on within government. Good luck Caitlin Keefe! And Happy Holidays Loudoun!
LCPS is demanding over $30K to comply with an FOIA request from a Loudoun mother.
Chilling effect, indeed!
OMG, an elected official is in a Facebook group! Better start another petition. Some people just really hate democracy, don’t they?
If the person presence in the Facebook group violates the law then consequences need to happen.