| The Rhea County Newspaper |
| "Rhea County's REAL Information Source" |
| Fighting Secrecy - Open Records Laws |
Corrupt behavior most often occurs in secrecy, behind closed doors. Therefore, the most
effective way to prevent government corruption is to make the activities of public officials
transparent to the American people. Federal open records laws, such as the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), provide access to government documents and public records.
State “sunshine” laws also provide the means by which the public can gain access to
government documents and scrutinize the behavior of public officials. The following are
descriptions of the most important open records laws and how they work.
effective way to prevent government corruption is to make the activities of public officials
transparent to the American people. Federal open records laws, such as the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), provide access to government documents and public records.
State “sunshine” laws also provide the means by which the public can gain access to
government documents and scrutinize the behavior of public officials. The following are
descriptions of the most important open records laws and how they work.
