FOIA Policy
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-09-26
AO-09-26 June 30, 2026 Timothy MooreVia Electronic Mail The staff of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council is authorized to issue advisory opinions. The ensuing staff advisory opinion is based solely upon the information presented in your email of August 4, 2025. Dear Mr. Moore: You have requested an advisory opinion relative to the Virginia…
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Transparent GMU v. George Mason, Supreme Court opinion
GMU Foundation not subject to Virginia FOIA and not a university agent, therefore university not responsible for accessing foundation’s records, either.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-05-18
A custodian may require a requester of public records to provide his legal name and address and may attempt to verify that a requester is a citizen of the Commonwealth, a representative of newspapers and magazines with circulation in the Commonwealth, or a representative of radio and television stations broadcasting in or into the Commonwealth.…
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-04-15
A public body does not have to create a new record that does not already exist, but may abstract or summarize information under such terms and conditions as agreed between the requester and the public body. Clear and concise communications are critical when making and responding to requests.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-01-14
This opinion discusses the use of the contract negotiations and economic development records exemptions. FOIA allows a records custodian to disclose exempt records in his discretion. FOIA does not require a custodian to engage in a balancing test in exercising that discretion, or to justify or explain a decision not to disclose exempt records.