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10/16/2018
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Judge Orders Attorney General to stop charging for Transparency
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Superior Court Judge Melissa Long ruled yesterday that the Attorney General must release any additional information relating to how the office spent the Google Settlement Funds to Representative Morgan with all fees waived. Judge Long cited “inherent public interest in the records.” Representative Morgan had paid $3,750 for prior documents and calls today a “partial victory.”
Rep Morgan stated, “I am thankful Judge Long ruled in favor of transparency and is holding the Attorney General accountable. Sadly, she is not making him remove the onerous redactions. I have thousands of records to review. Once I do, I will go back to court and make the case that the redactions are more about protecting the Attorney General from embarrassment and not about security.”
“There are millions of dollars of invoices left. I demand answers and so should every Rhode Islander. We must make sure it was spent in the public’s best interests and that it was spent properly. “
“I started this inquiry because I wanted that money to be used to upgrade security measures at our schools. Sadly, I still don’t know how much cash remains, but I am certain the Attorney General has no plans to use it to make our children safer.
“I have many questions that must be answered. There are too many discrepancies in the Attorney General’s use of the funds: uses that do not make sense or adhere to the original stipulations of the Google agreement. I will not rest until I receive the information and answers.
“I am thankful that the Courts have agreed that the public deserves access to the documents at no charge. Transparency and accountability must extend to the Attorney General’s office, too. His fight to avoid the disclosure of the documents is the kind of obfuscation that has ruined the reputation of our state. Rhode Islanders deserve better.
For more information, contact:
Gregory Zervos, House Minority Office
State House Room 106
Providence, RI 02903
401-222-2259
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