LANSING – Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) has issued the following statement regarding Oakland County Commissioner Shelley Taub’s recent admission that she told her colleagues to delete documents that may have included official government correspondence regarding the appointment of a replacement to Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson:
“Michigan ranks dead last among all 50 states in government transparency according to the Center for Public Integrity, and the actions of Commissioner Taub contribute to this stain upon our state.
“We live in one of only two states in the nation in which the Governor and State Legislature are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). I’ve worked on bipartisan bills over the last three legislative sessions to remedy this, and I’ve repeatedly said that if state government is not subject to open records laws, then local officials won’t treat FOIA with any seriousness either. Sadly, this is now what is playing out in my home county.
“I’ve spent my time in the Legislature working to strengthen FOIA because it is among the most important tools Michiganders can utilize to hold government actors accountable for unethical actions, as any functioning democracy demands. The law is clear: any maneuver to subvert a FOIA request and shine a light on how government operates is an egregious breach of public trust, and violators are to be subjected to penalties.
“Commissioner Taub’s actions must be investigated by authorities so residents have the confidence that our government officials are working in their best interests.”
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