File cabinets. (Getty)
One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While the Virginia Freedom of Information Act presumes all government business is by default public and requires officials to justify why exceptions should be made, too many Virginia leaders in practice take the opposite stance, acting as if records are by default private and the public must prove they should be handled otherwise.
In this feature, we aim to highlight the frequency with which officials around Virginia are resisting public access to records on issues large and small — and note instances when the release of information under FOIA gave the public insight into how government bodies are operating.
Hopewell treasurer indicted on record forgery and fraud charges
Hopewell treasurer Shannon Foskey has been charged with two counts of forging and uttering a public record along with a count of computer fraud and a count of disabling computer software. The felony charges each carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence if Foskey is convicted.