AG Brown prioritizes the public’s right to know with new Public Records and Open Government Unit

The Washington State Attorney General's Office is creating a new unit and a new position to modernize public records and retention processes, enhance staff training on open government issues, and innovate solutions to hurdles between the business of government and the public's right to know.

The office's first-ever Chief Transparency Counsel will lead the Public Records and Open Government Unit. This unit will be made up of a staff of more than 10 existing employees who already work on public records, including the existing Public Records and Constituent Services Unit and two attorneys who work on public records. These employees have worked closely together for years to advance transparency in government and will now be consolidated in a single unit with additional resources and leadership. The unit will continue to manage public records processes, records retention, constituent correspondence, and other functions.

"Transparency is a key part of the work we do every day to protect and support Washingtonians," Attorney General Nick Brown said. "At a time of widespread mistrust in government, public access is as crucial as ever to let the public see our work for themselves."

The AG's office saw public records requests double from 528 in 2014 to 1,032 in 2024. The AG's office will explore new solutions and improve existing processes to respond to this increase in requests.

The Chief Transparency Counsel will be empowered to think holistically about the agency's process of responding to records requests and make changes across the organization to increase the agency's performance and efficiency. The Public Records and Open Government Unit will be responsible for implementing these improvements and providing agency staff with training and advice to ensure they're successfully adopted. Applications for the Chief Transparency Counsel position close today and the AG's office hopes to select a candidate by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, the AG's office proposed changes to the model rules that guide governments' responses to Public Records Act requests. These changes would help public agencies across the state develop timely and diligent responses to records requests. The AG's office is holding an in-person hearing Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the John A. Cherberg Building, Rooms ABC, 304 15th Avenue SW, Olympia, WA 98501, to accept oral and written public comment on amendments to the Public Records Act Model Rules. Learn more about the hearing and how to participate via Zoom.

Creating this unit and hiring the first Chief Transparency Counsel is another step towards improving public knowledge and understanding of their government.

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Washington's Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state's largest law firm, the Attorney General's Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington's 39 counties. Visit https://www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

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