Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) officials quoted Adam Orson over $40,000 for records responsive to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. That amount is based on a fee of up to 25 cents for copying over 16,000 pages of records. But that fee does not apply to electronic records.
FOIA in Connecticut allows state agencies to charge a maximum of 25 cents per page fee for copying records. State agencies are not allowed to charge more for requests than disclosing records costs a public agency.
The law also directs the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to create guidelines for fees associated with electronic records. DAS’ current guidelines limit the fees agencies should charge for electronic records. “The calculation of fees should include only the time it takes the state employee(s) to format and program the request.” the guidelines state. Agencies can also charge for any media, such as hard drives, records copied, or printing of electronic records if that is requested.
The guidelines also prohibit agencies from charging for the time it takes to search for and retrieve responsive records.
In February and April of 2024, Osmond submitted two FOIA requests to DECD seeking records. According to a brief in his Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC) complaint against DECD that Osmond shared with Inside Investigator, the scope of those requests was informed by discovery in a whistleblower case Osmond brought against DECD, where he was...
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