Sunday, January 01, 2006

Is It Legal To Conceal Open Records?

That's a good question. The answer, according to the Illinois Attorney General's office, is "NO."

And why is this important? It seems there's been some hanky-panky with a routine situation right in Kendall County over the holidays. And the hanky-panky is a cover-up. In classic fashion, the incident is not the issue; it's the cover-up.

Sources tell me that an incident was not reported recently -- not because the local media withheld the story -- but because the incident is being kept under wraps.

And who is behind it? I won't give it up, but the last name begins with Hastert. At least two others with ties to the Speaker are also allegedly implicated in the scheme.

By the way, I hope everyone took my advice yesterday.

Happy New Year!

2 comments:

Carl Nyberg said...

Local police departments seem to be the most egregious violators of the FOIA. They routinely want $5 and more for basic documents. Melrose Park wants $20 for one type of police report.

HRC said...

Five bucks wouldn't be bad, what with the price of donuts. $20 is just crazy.

This is just being buried, simply because it's embarrassing, and because the name appears to have created an unusual "break" from standard procedures. That's my problem.

I want to know that if I am arrested or pulled over, I'm treated the same as anyone else.

I understand some states with "open records" laws make it a crime to withhold or "bury" a report. Know anything about that? I don't see any such law on the books in IL.