Public Records Requests

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “South Dakota Lags in Public-Records Transparency Laws, Expert Says” published on South Dakota’s soiuxlandproud.com on March 17. According to Cuillier, South Dakota’s state laws providing public access to state and local government records are among the weakest in…

The Miami Herald is the winner of the 2024 Brechner Freedom of Information Award for “Shakedown City,” an investigation into government corruption within the city of Miami that spawned a series of investigations by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission and state ethics commission. The award is…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “’Certainly Intimidation:’ Louisiana Sues EPA for Emails of Journalists and ‘Cancer Alley’ Residents” published in The Guardian on Feb. 2. The article focuses on Louisiana’s fight against environmental protection with the rare use of public record laws to…

People seeking government information to make their communities better face frustrations and obstacles because of high copy fees, according to a new study “To Fee or Not to Fee: Requester Attitude Toward Freedom of Information Charges, co-authored by David Cuillier, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project…

David Cuillier, director of the  Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “After a Decade, FOIAonline is Shutting Down. What’s Next for FOIA Requestors? ” published on muckrock.com on Sept. 26. For more than a decade, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted a portal for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)…

David Cuillier, director of the  Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “School District Removes Letter from Online Despite Parents’ Bill of Rights Clause” published in The Gainesville Sun on Sep. 22. The article focuses on the creation of a club at Gainesville High School that potentially violated state…

David Cuillier, director of the  Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “What Are They Hiding? State Agency Quotes High Fees to Bog Down Requests” published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sept. 8. The article focuses on public records requests made by the Las Vegas Review-Journal to find…

Frank LoMonte, director of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information was quoted in “Criminal Charges Rare in Public Records Violations” published in the Palm Beach Post on Dec. 8. The article focuses on the lack of criminal charges against public officials…