Saturday, April 23, 2011

Public official's private e-mails exempt from Public Records Act

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has issued an opinion declaring personal e-mails written by public officials on government computers are exempt from disclosure under the public records law. This sounds like bad law protecting bad actors who lack the good sense not to use public property for private communications. Could this opinion undermine discipline of public officials who use public computers for personal matters? Perhaps so.