Transparency News 11/1/17

Wednesday, November 1, 2017


State and Local Stories

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John M. Newman said Tuesday morning that he spent too much time talking to reporters in recent days to dive deeply into the recently released documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, with international television crews at his home and calls from print journalists around the globe. But he’s had a chance to study between 400 and 500 of what he thinks are the key pages out of the thousands made available to the public Thursday night, and he’s intrigued by what he’s found and hasn’t found.
Daily News Record



National Stories
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Previously undisclosed records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the DC Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and Defending Rights & Dissent details the types, quantities, manufacturers and costs of munitions used against protesters on Inauguration Day. From an estimated security budget of $200 million for the inauguration weekend, the DC Metropolitan Police Department spent more than $300,000 to militarize its police force. MPD purchased equipment 1,000 gas masks ($171,610) and 500 batons ($38,935), and spent more than $42,000 on “less-lethal” munitions, including 140 Stinger Rubber Ball Grenades, 140 Rubber Baton Rounds, 140 Stinger Rounds and 20 smoke bombs.
Wisconsin Gazette

A new mailer showing up at homes around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from the region’s Chamber of Commerce proclaims, “A few individuals are attempting to mislead you.” Chamber officials say mailer is to defend the organization from “misinformation” about its transparency. “I think right now if you look at the different media outlets, we found there was a lot of misinformation floating about,” Todd Setzer, chairman of the board for the chamber, said. “We thought we owed it not only to our members, but to anybody connected to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, it was a need to put out what we thought were the facts.” The misinformation, Setzer said, was how chamber money was spent. He said that the organization participates in an independent audit each year, and that the information is publicly published. Currently, the Myrtle Beach chamber receives money from the 1-percent tourism development fee as well as funds from the accommodations tax, or A-tax. The chamber said this tax money is used for promoting and advertising Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach Sun Times

Georgia's highest court says the makers of a popular podcast series do not have the right to copy audio recordings made during a murder trial by a court reporter. The second season of the "Undisclosed" podcast featured the case of Joey Watkins, who was convicted of murder and other crimes for his role in the January 2000 slaying of Isaac Dawkins in northwest Georgia. He was sentenced to serve life plus five years in prison. Undisclosed LLC argued the recordings are court records, and rules governing the courts provide for the right to copy court records. Georgia Supreme Court Justice Nels Peterson wrote in an opinion published Monday that, under common law, court records include only materials filed with the court. The recordings at issue weren't filed with the court.
U.S. News & World Report


Editorials/Columns


Talk about a sweet gig. As reporter Ned Oliver detailed recently, the job description for the position of Richmond city treasurer is essentially blank. The Finance Department assumed the office’s former duties, which means that it currently has none. The current occupant, Eunice Wilder, helps people with taxes and notarizes documents now and then. Which is nice.
Richmond Times-Dispatch