Blog Posts
February 1, 2019, by Fritz Mulhauser
UPDATE 2/5/19: Perry Stein wrote for the Post on the charter transparency topic Monday evening (4), reviewing the Charter Board proposal and hearing a week ago but adding some new voices. She reports no negative comments and even the new deputy mayor weighed in positively. She writes: “Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn said the […]
February 1, 2019, by Fritz Mulhauser
All eyes are on the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) as they take on a new role overseeing the Office of Open Government. The D.C. Council changed the law last year, ending the independence of the Office and requiring its director to report to the board–five members appointed by he mayor and […]
D.C. Transparency Watch: Is MPD Body-Cam Video Redaction Out of Control?
January 8, 2019, by Fritz Mulhauser
UPDATE 1/18/19: MPD 1st District Commander Morgan Kane met with ANC6B Tuesday (15) and Larry Janezich blogged on the session for Capitol Hill Corner. He reports Kane said a total of seven officers were involved, two at the CVS where the man reported his encounter with the youths, and five members of a bike squad […]
January 1, 2019, by Fritz Mulhauser
UPDATE 1/10/19: D.C. Superior Court Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo declined Tueday (7) to dismiss the Post’s case seeking police video a traffic stop of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. in 2017. Attorneys for the District of Columbia asked that the case be tossed out, stressing White’s privacy should be protected as the public had no valid […]
Make D.C. more transparent in 2019
December 26, 2018, by dcogcadmin
December 2018 Dear Friend of Open Government: As the New Year approaches, the D.C. Open Government Coalition (DCOGC) would like to thank you for your support and commitment to enhancing the public’s access to government information and ensuring the transparency of the District of Columbia government. This past year has been both productive and frustrating; […]
December 23, 2018, by Fritz Mulhauser
MPD has acknowledged they are again investigating questionable conduct by Officer Jordan Palmer, this time regarding a street stop December 5. A man allegedly carrying an open container of alcohol was stopped, became combative and was detained by Palmer and other officers. The man was tackled in the process and broke a bone. According to […]
D.C. Agency FOIA Problems Surface with Rare Drama in Whistleblower Lawsuit
December 6, 2018, by Fritz Mulhauser
Genet Amare, an official with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit in Superior Court that — if its allegations are proved — gives a rare window on a D.C agency’s disdainful treatment of public records requests. The case has been mostly noticed as a sidebar within the story of […]
November 19, 2018, by Fritz Mulhauser
UPDATES 12-3-18: Schools. Chancellor selection announced today (Monday) — Lewis D. Ferebee, now schools’ chief in Indianapolis. The citizen advisory panel was called back for a meeting Saturday with two finalists and a brief feedback session with the mayor. No resumes provided. Obviously no time for independent vetting such as by contacting civic groups in […]
November 9, 2018, by Fritz Mulhauser
Traci Hughes may have been denied a second five-year term as Director of the D.C. Office of Open Government, but at City Paper this week (8) she’s made the editors’ list of 21 “people who give D.C. its distinct character” and “who have something important to say about this moment in D.C.” Reporter Mitch Ryals […]
New Teacher Voices Speak Powerfully for Charter School Transparency
October 31, 2018, by Fritz Mulhauser
Five D.C. charter school teachers jump-started the movement for greater freedom of information in that sector as they gave personal testimonies at a workshop recently—new life for a moribund effort to align D.C. law to the nationwide norm of open meetings and open records at these publicly-supported schools. There are 123 charter schools run by […]
