PAC Says Resumes of Candidates for Elected Office Are Releaseable Under FOIA
The Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General's office (PAC) just issued its 11th binding opinion of 2022 finding a public body in violation of FOIA for failing to provide copies of the applications submitted by candidates for appointment to fill a vacant elected office. PAC Op. 22-011,
In April, an individual filed a FOIA request with a village seeking the names and applications of the candidates for a vacancy to the village board. The village denied the request, citing three FOIA exemptions including that the applications were exempt from release as private information, that release of the information would be an invasion of personal privacy of the candidates, and that the documents contained information that expresses policy or opinions. The village also argued that the records were not public records because the village president had not shared the applications with the village board. Ultimately, the village did release the application for the candidate who had been appointed to fill the vacancy but continued to withhold the applications submitted by the other candidates. The requester filed a request for review with the PAC.
The PAC rejected the village's argument that the unsuccessful candidates' applications were either (1) not public records or (2) exempt from release. First, the PAC found that the records were public records since they were in the possession of the village president and were used by the president in deciding who to appoint to fill the vacancy on the villagea board. Second, the PAC determined that the public's right to access information about candidates for elected office (and those considered for appointment to fill an elected office) outweighs any diminished right of privacy the candidates might have to their potential appointment to the village board. The PAC distinguished the privacy interests of candidates for elected office (who have a diminished right to privacy) with unsuccessful candidates for public employment (who have a privacy interest in not having their candidacy disclosed to the public because of the potential negative impacts in the community and with their current employment). Finally, the PAC rejected the village's argument that the records were used to "formulate policy" finding that the work history and educational background of the candidates for appointment to elected office are purely factual in nature.
In short, the PAC determined that the resumes and other information about candidates for elected office (or appointment to fill a vacancy in an elected position) are releasable under FOIA.
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