File cabinets. (Getty)
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 practice take the opposite stance, acting as if records are by default private and the public must prove they should be handled otherwise.
In this feature, we aim to highlight the frequency with which officials around Virginia are resisting public access to records on issues large and small — and note instances when the release of information under FOIA gave the public insight into how government bodies are operating.
State mum on technology official’s departure
Virginia’s technology authority refused to release documents related to the abrupt departure of its former CEO last month, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch .
Chandra Briggman left Activation Capital, a public body created to foster entrepreneurship and innovation and oversee the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, due to an unexplained employment dispute, the newspaper reported.
The Times-Dispatch requested a copy of Briggman’s employment contract and any separation deal outlining the terms of her exit. The authority “declined to share a document addressing Briggman’s departure,” the paper reported, allowing the public bodies to keep contracts created to settle employment disputes secret.
Officials refused to explain the nature of the dispute.
ABC won’t comment on how it resolved whistleblower suits
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority reached legal settlements with two former employees who filed whistleblower complaints, according to WRIC , but is refusing to disclose the terms.
“Virginia ABC does not comment on personnel matters,” ABC spokesman Pat Kane told the Richmond-area TV station.
The Mercury and other media outlets have published several FOIA-based stories about alleged dysfunction within ABC that resulted in two whistleblower cases. In one of the cases, former director of retail operations Jennifer Burke accused the authority of retaliating against her by putting her on administrative leave after she reported “millions” of dollars in liquor inventory had gone missing.
ABC refused to comment on the litigation when it was active. By quietly settling the matter and refusing to comment on the lawsuit’s conclusion, it’s unclear whether ABC denied all Burke’s claims or acknowledged some of her allegations had merit.
The Mercury’s efforts to track FOIA and other transparency cases in Virginia are indebted to the work of the
Virginia Coalition for Open Government , a nonprofit alliance dedicated to expanding access to government records, meetings and other state and local proceedings.
RTD publishes City Hall salary database
The Richmond Times-Dispatch published a searchable database showing the salaries of Richmond City Hall officials.
The newspaper noted it was making the information available after the city removed a similar online lookup tool it had posted on its own website.
As expected, Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders had the highest salary at nearly $335,000 per year.
The data showed the median salary for city employees was around $66,000.
Have you experienced local or state officials denying or delaying your FOIA request? Tell us about it: info@virginiamercury.com
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