Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc. | Edgar County Watchdogs site
Edgar County Watchdogs, Inc. | Edgar County Watchdogs site
The Illinois State Police (ISP) recently updated their response regarding the costs associated with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit settlements over the past five years. Previously, it was reported that the ISP had spent $237,316.47 on these settlements. However, a new disclosure has revealed that this figure was not accurate.
According to the ISP FOIA officer, two additional settlement agreements were located which were originally responsive to a FOIA request dated May 6, 2024. These agreements have been redacted in compliance with Section 7(1)(b) of FOIA, which exempts private information from inspection and copying unless required by law or court order.
The discovery of these additional agreements increases the total taxpayer-funded FOIA settlement expenses to $258,816.47 over the last five years.
“ISP located two additional settlement agreements that were originally responsive to your FOIA request dated May 6, 2024," stated the ISP in their communication.
This update highlights ongoing challenges with ensuring complete compliance with FOIA requests and underscores the importance of transparency in public records.
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