Transparency News 2/27/17
Monday, February 27, 2017
State and Local Stories
State and Local Stories
Legislation that would have shielded specific concentrations of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing from public disclosure was rejected in a Senate committee this month, a vote that drew cheers from environmental groups. But Miles Morin, executive director of the Virginia Petroleum Council, among the industry groups that supported the bills as reasonable trade-secret protections for the often geologically specific cocktails of chemicals drillers use, said the legislation’s defeat could sow confusion among the public and state agencies about Freedom of Information Act requests related to fracking fluids. “The problem is that without enacting a FOIA exemption, the legislature has failed to provide clarity to the public and state employees about how that information should be handled,” Morin said. But there does not seem to be much confusion at the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy on how to handle any future FOIA requests dealing with the chemicals. “We will provide the information requested. We will not exempt information sent to us on fracking fluids,” said Tarah Kesterson, a department spokeswoman.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Prosecutors asked the court Friday to respect a federal jury’s decision to convict suspended Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot in December on several public corruption and perjury charges. Even if they didn’t take a long time to reach those verdicts. “The evidence presented against the defendant was overwhelming,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa O’Boyle, Uzo Asonye and Katherine Martin wrote in a 33-page court document responding to a defense request to throw out the convictions. “The jury’s verdict is not proof that its members failed to consider certain pieces of evidence. A quick deliberation could just as easily be an indication that the government presented an overwhelmingly strong case and the jury agreed on most factual issues.”
Virginian-Pilot
A phone call received almost 50 years ago by Bristol, Tennessee, native Tennessee Ernie Ford led to the arrest of a conman who took on eight aliases to steal, or attempt to steal, money from prominent figures, including pro golfers. The newly released details play out the story in a FBI file obtained by the Herald Courier through a Freedom of Information Act request. The 63-page file details the events that led up to the arrest of Booker Thomas Randolph, who worked as a caddie for pro golfers. The FBI redacted names of the professional golfers as well as the names of others involved in the case.
Herald Courier
A Wisconsin-based watchdog group has taken credit for the cancellation of a Christiansburg senior citizen trip. The Freedom From Religion Foundation announced that it “successfully dissuaded” the town’s Parks and Recreation Department from taking a trip to The Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum in Kentucky by appealing to the clause prohibiting Congress from establishing religions in the first amendment of the United States Constitution. The group said it sent a letter to the recreation department’s director, Brad Epperley, according to a news release from the group. While the Freedom from Religion Foundation cited its influence over Christiansburg’s decision, its letter was a lesser reason for the trip’s cancellation, according to an email from town spokeswoman Melissa Powell. After creating the trip at the request of a number of senior citizens, interest waned and the department feared the group would not have enough people to meet the travel company’s requirements. Shutting down the trip was already being considered prior to the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s letter, Powell wrote.
The Roanoke Times
National Stories
Americans have more ways than ever before to express their views on issues that matter to them, whether it’s a tweet, a YouTube video or a comment at a town hall meeting. The public has a unique perspective on the toughest challenges cities face, but too often that expertise gets left on the table when decisions are made. At the local level, public opinion is particularly critical. That’s why, with the support of Citi Foundation, we’re excited to announce the release of the Public Engagement Roadmap, a creative suite of resources for practitioners who aim to develop and kick-start a robust public engagement strategy. The roadmap was informed by insights from five cities who participated in the City Accelerator program, so it’s pressure-tested by practitioners on the ground.
Governing
News organizations protested a White House decision Friday to hold a news briefing by invitation only. The briefing list excluded CNN and the New York Times, outlets with which President Trump and the administration has clashed over reports on investigations into possible contacts between Trump associates and Russia during last year's election campaign. Organizations such as Politico, the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, and USA TODAY did not receive invitations to the on-the-record gaggle conducted by White House press secretary Sean Spicer. "We don't need to do an on-camera briefing every day," Spicer told reporters. The Associated Press and Time declined to attend the session, while the White House Correspondents Association said in a statement it is "protesting strongly" against the way the event was handled.
USA Today
The California Senate was thrown into chaos and anger Thursday when a Republican member was forcibly removed from the floor for allegedly speaking out of turn during a session. Republican colleagues say Sen. Janet Nguyen of Garden Grove was silenced by the Democratic majority when the Senate sergeant-at-arms escorted her from the chamber as Nguyen tried to criticize the late Democratic lawmaker Tom Hayden for his stance against the Vietnam War.
Governing
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Prosecutors asked the court Friday to respect a federal jury’s decision to convict suspended Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot in December on several public corruption and perjury charges. Even if they didn’t take a long time to reach those verdicts. “The evidence presented against the defendant was overwhelming,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa O’Boyle, Uzo Asonye and Katherine Martin wrote in a 33-page court document responding to a defense request to throw out the convictions. “The jury’s verdict is not proof that its members failed to consider certain pieces of evidence. A quick deliberation could just as easily be an indication that the government presented an overwhelmingly strong case and the jury agreed on most factual issues.”
Virginian-Pilot
A phone call received almost 50 years ago by Bristol, Tennessee, native Tennessee Ernie Ford led to the arrest of a conman who took on eight aliases to steal, or attempt to steal, money from prominent figures, including pro golfers. The newly released details play out the story in a FBI file obtained by the Herald Courier through a Freedom of Information Act request. The 63-page file details the events that led up to the arrest of Booker Thomas Randolph, who worked as a caddie for pro golfers. The FBI redacted names of the professional golfers as well as the names of others involved in the case.
Herald Courier
A Wisconsin-based watchdog group has taken credit for the cancellation of a Christiansburg senior citizen trip. The Freedom From Religion Foundation announced that it “successfully dissuaded” the town’s Parks and Recreation Department from taking a trip to The Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum in Kentucky by appealing to the clause prohibiting Congress from establishing religions in the first amendment of the United States Constitution. The group said it sent a letter to the recreation department’s director, Brad Epperley, according to a news release from the group. While the Freedom from Religion Foundation cited its influence over Christiansburg’s decision, its letter was a lesser reason for the trip’s cancellation, according to an email from town spokeswoman Melissa Powell. After creating the trip at the request of a number of senior citizens, interest waned and the department feared the group would not have enough people to meet the travel company’s requirements. Shutting down the trip was already being considered prior to the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s letter, Powell wrote.
The Roanoke Times
National Stories
Americans have more ways than ever before to express their views on issues that matter to them, whether it’s a tweet, a YouTube video or a comment at a town hall meeting. The public has a unique perspective on the toughest challenges cities face, but too often that expertise gets left on the table when decisions are made. At the local level, public opinion is particularly critical. That’s why, with the support of Citi Foundation, we’re excited to announce the release of the Public Engagement Roadmap, a creative suite of resources for practitioners who aim to develop and kick-start a robust public engagement strategy. The roadmap was informed by insights from five cities who participated in the City Accelerator program, so it’s pressure-tested by practitioners on the ground.
Governing
News organizations protested a White House decision Friday to hold a news briefing by invitation only. The briefing list excluded CNN and the New York Times, outlets with which President Trump and the administration has clashed over reports on investigations into possible contacts between Trump associates and Russia during last year's election campaign. Organizations such as Politico, the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, and USA TODAY did not receive invitations to the on-the-record gaggle conducted by White House press secretary Sean Spicer. "We don't need to do an on-camera briefing every day," Spicer told reporters. The Associated Press and Time declined to attend the session, while the White House Correspondents Association said in a statement it is "protesting strongly" against the way the event was handled.
USA Today
The California Senate was thrown into chaos and anger Thursday when a Republican member was forcibly removed from the floor for allegedly speaking out of turn during a session. Republican colleagues say Sen. Janet Nguyen of Garden Grove was silenced by the Democratic majority when the Senate sergeant-at-arms escorted her from the chamber as Nguyen tried to criticize the late Democratic lawmaker Tom Hayden for his stance against the Vietnam War.
Governing
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