From FreeTimes: The South Carolina Public Interest Foundation has filed a lawsuit with the Richland County Clerk of Court against the State Ethics Commission, alleging that the body charged with enforcing state ethics laws violated the Freedom of Information Act by responding to a reporter’s request for a public record with a falsehood.
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the Ethics Commission initially told local news outlet The Nerve that the letter had been destroyed, but that was disproved when evidence of the letter appeared in a Nov. 17 Associated Press report.
In its filing, dated Dec. 27, the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation asks the court to rule that Hayden and the Ethics Commission violated the Freedom of Information Act. The plaintiffs only ask to be compensated for their legal expenses and any additional relief the court deems fair.
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