First Amendment News

State legislators are increasingly perturbed with Governor Gavin Newsom over the lack of transparency on virus spending. Assembly members want to be included in decisions about the spending and asked Newsom for more information about allocating the estimated $7 billion for the emergency. (San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 2020, by Dustin Gardiner) The San Luis Obispo County DA flagged the San Simeon Community Services District for failing to properly notify citizens of a public meeting.

A federal district judge rejected Twitter’s six -year old lawsuit brought to provide its users with information about how many federal surveillance requests it receives. The FBI classifies statistics on demands Twitter receives through National Security Letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Warrants. But in her ruling, the judge said she could see no reason the government could prevent Twitter from disclosing the information. “The Court has never found the Government’s logic persuasive on this

Citizens of a Cleveland suburb may never learn the details of a sweetheart deal the city made with Sherwin-Williams to get them to stay. The deal included a confidentiality clause preventing the release of information about the project to build the company a new headquarters with $13.5 million in public funds. With the pandemic crippling the Cleveland Plaindealer, the newspaper has no money to fight for transparency. A Freedom of Information Act lawsuit can cost

The Committee to Protect Journalists, April 16, 2020, released a report showing that Trump administration’s attacks on the press has corroded its credibility and destroyed powers of truth and consensus needed when the pandemic threatens thousands of American lives. As journalists report details of the administration’s failings, President Donald Trump responds, “The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to make us look bad. Sad!” The report addresses the lack of access and how Trump