De Blasio Office Screens Records That May 'Reflect Directly' on Mayor

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio 

By Jake Pearson 

Mayor 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.

Full article available here: De Blasio Office Screens Records... 

Source: NBC News