Brown Sets Standards For Secret Documents

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown this afternoon ordered new rules for public records inside his office, after an Associated Press investigation found "information on scores of Justice Dept. contracts, many of them no-bid, was erroneously labeled 'confidential' and omitted from computerized state records, cloaking it from public sight."

Now, Brown's office sets some "precise standards" for when a document may be declared confidential.

It requires employees to provide a written explanation of why any information on contracts should be withheld from state computer data, and the recommendation must be approved by a supervisor, with advice from lawyers when needed, the AP reports. Exemptions will be made for the purchase of wiretapping equipment, advice from experts during ongoing trials, and any information that could threaten the security of agents.

Although the public records were kept hidden by the previous Justice Dept. administration under Bill Lockyer, Brown himself has been stung by missing public records in Oakland, where he was mayor for eight years. A report by the Oakland Tribune and the Contra Costa Times showed some documents are missing or destroyed. The editorial writers at the CCT weighed in today:

"Never mind that the lawyers for the city say that there was never any approval given to get rid of the records. Also never mind that it is against state law to remove, tamper with or destroy government records. But, really, everything is OK because one of the other people who destroyed the records tells us that many of the things that were thrown away were probably backed up electronically, you know, somewhere."

(Photo: Ray Chavez / The Oakland Tribune via AP)