Richmond named "City of Darkness" over public records fight
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Richmond is drawing national scrutiny over its transparency practices and how it's handled the high-profile lawsuit involving Connie Clay.
Why it matters: That criticism is placing the city alongside prominent examples of secrecy or obstruction involving the Department of Homeland Security and DOGE.
Driving the news: A national "Foilies" award from MuckRock and the Electronic Frontier last week named Richmond among officials that "thwart the public's right to know" — and dubbed it a "City of Darkness."
- The reason: City Council's vote to let Mayor Avula's administration decide which public records to publish in its new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Library.
- Council's earlier proposal for the library, which is set to go live sometime in May, would have automatically posted all releasable records requested by residents and the media.
- Meanwhile, the Avula administration's proposal that council adopted limits the library to records requested by multiple people or deemed of clear public interest.
The city did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
- But Avula's administration, which is subject to public records requests, has said a broader release could disclose sensitive information.
Zoom in: EFF and MuckRock also noted Clay's lawsuit, which has cost the city over $671,000, as part of its "secrecy shenanigans."
- City attorneys previously asked a judge to stop Clay from filing FOIA requests tied to the case or speaking to the media.
Fun fact: This isn't the region's first "Foilies" appearance.
- In 2024, Richmond Police "won" The Creative Invoicing Award while Chesterfield PD was "honored" with the The Cops Anonymous Award.