TPM Fights for Public Access to Budget Documents in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals

In 2020, Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP (TPM) brought a D.C. Freedom of Information Act (“D.C. FOIA”) case against the District of Columbia. TPM asked the D.C. Superior Court to order the District to turn over budget materials that reflect determinations by D.C. agencies about how much money they need to do their work. D.C. law requires that information be made public and posted on a District website. As discussed here, on July 23, 2021, the Superior Court rejected the Mayor’s arguments that she was entitled to withhold the documents and ordered them to be placed online.

That order was stayed pending the Mayor’s appeal to the D.C. Court of Appeals. In that appeal (District of Columbia v. Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP (No. 21-CV-543)), the Mayor seeks to have the D.C. FOIA provision at issue declared invalid, contending that the budget transparency imposed by statute would violate the District Charter. Oral argument was held before the Court of Appeals on September 28, 2022 (recording here). The case is pending decision.

On October 14, 2022, the Washington City Paper reported on this matter in an article titled, “Bowser Fights Budget Transparency. No One Is Surprised.” Click here for that article.