ATLANTA (AP) – A former spokeswoman for the Atlanta mayor’s office faces a “first of its kind prosecution” for alleged violations of Georgia’s open records law, the state attorney general said Monday.
Two citations have been filed in Fulton County State Court against Jenna Garland, who served as press secretary under former Mayor Kasim Reed, Attorney General Chris Carr said in a news release. It’s the first time the attorney general’s office has sought criminal charges for alleged violations of the Georgia Open Records Act, Carr’s office said.
Contact information for Garland couldn’t immediately be found, and it wasn’t clear whether she had an attorney who could comment on the allegations. She no longer works for the city.
“Openness and transparency in government are vital to upholding the public trust. I am confident that this action sends a clear message that the Georgia Open Records Act will be enforced,” Carr said in the release.
When WSB-TV in March 2017 requested billing, payment and usage records for a specific address from the city’s Department of Watershed Management, Garland instructed a department spokeswoman to “drag this out” as long as possible, and to provide the information “in the most confusing format available,” the release says.