
Judge signals that officials' private devices exempt from FOIA requests
An Allegan County judge signaled Monday that she likely would rule that Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act does not cover public officials’ private devices and accounts.
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An Allegan County judge signaled Monday that she likely would rule that Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act does not cover public officials’ private devices and accounts.
The meeting gave the public an early glimpse into how new leadership will shape policy and decision-making over the next four years — and what resistance they might face.
On Friday, Jan. 3, The Holland Sentinel through its attorney Joseph Richotte, submitted a brief to the Michigan Court of Appeals asking the court to reverse a circuit court decision made on Jan. 19, 2024.
Internal emails show that the contract was crafted in less than two months, with only select officials involved in the process — including the contractor who will receive the funds to complete the work.
“What concerns me is that no substantial evidence has ever been presented to board members, the HR department, or our HR attorney to substantiate either Moss’s narrative or Epperson’s allegations."
Howard said although she was disappointed in the decision, the lawsuit challenging the agreements will still move forward.
The emergency filing by Howard to the court of appeals asked that the court rule by 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, in order "to prevent irreparable harm."
Questions remain on why the deal happened with little public discussion and didn’t follow the county’s traditional purchasing policies.
A trio of controversial decisions approved by the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners are in limbo after a local attorney filed a motion for a temporary restraining order preventing funds of about $850,000 from leaving the county’s coffers.