NEW YORK (AP) – Mayor Bill de Blasio, who promised to run the most transparent administration in city history, has taken steps to have his office review any public records request of any city agency that could “reflect directly on the mayor.”
That broad mandate, outlined in a May 5 email obtained by The Associated Press, could give de Blasio’s office control over virtually all newsworthy Freedom of Information Law requests from journalists, watchdog groups or members of the public.
Although the ramifications of the policy are not yet clear, transparency advocates fear such control could lead to prolonged delays in responding to records requests, a criticism both President Barack Obama and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced when they instituted similar policies.
“The concern from a transparency perspective will be if City Hall orders the delay or partial release or in any way impedes anything but a full and robust response,” said John Kaehny, director of the nonprofit Reinvent Albany and a co-chair of the New York City Transparency Working Group.
De Blasio administration officials defended the policy, arguing that it’s legal for government officials to consult on records requests before releasing public information.