Director Brendan F. Kelly | Illinois State Police
Director Brendan F. Kelly | Illinois State Police
The Illinois State Police (ISP) has spent $237,316.47 settling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits over the past five years. This figure was revealed following a recent settlement in which the ISP paid over $20,600 to an attorney representing the plaintiffs.
In light of this settlement, a FOIA request was submitted to the ISP for all settlement agreements related to FOIA cases within the last five years. The data obtained highlighted significant expenditures on legal fees associated with these cases.
"While we understand each case may have different facts, it’s clear the ISP needs to rethink how it handles requests for public records as there are no excuses for this amount of money being spent in efforts to withhold public records," stated an observer familiar with the situation.
The complete list of settlements from the past five years is available for download or can be viewed online.
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