Georgia Secretary of State Locks Out the Public: A Trail of Open Records Defiance

The Fight Begins

Update 4/1/2025 Click to chip in and fight for transparency. Let’s open the books. Legal papers are in motion  – read update below, Click GOFUNDME

Imagine asking for a peek behind the curtain of your state government—something you’re legally entitled to—and getting a door slammed in your face. That’s been my reality since late 2023, battling the Georgia Secretary of State’s office over my right to see public records. My request is straightforward: show me the daily log of open records requests submitted to the SOS, or if no log exists, let me inspect the actual filings. It’s a simple ask, one they fulfilled without a fuss or a fee—until they didn’t.

On January 3, 2024, the SOS Open Records Staff dropped a bombshell email: “Going forward, our office cannot provide daily summaries of records requests. We can provide a monthly snapshot of requests for $30.00.” No warning, no legal justification—just a unilateral shutdown. I’ve been chasing answers ever since, and the silence is deafening. This isn’t just my story—it’s a symptom of a deeper rot in Georgia’s commitment to transparency, and the SOS is at the heart of it.

A Personal Battle Turns Public

My fight started small. On December 1, 2023, I emailed the SOS to review requests from November 30—a routine ask I’d made daily. Their online portal is a bust for me, so I rely on email, as the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.) allows. I noted the public good, the minimal effort (less than 15 minutes), and asked for no fees. Their response? Crickets. By January 3, they’d pivoted to their $30-a-month scheme, ignoring my follow-ups.

I escalated. On January 7, 2024, I wrote to General Counsel Charlene McGowan, laying out the law they’re breaking and demanding compliance before I sue. I copied the Attorney General’s office. No reply. On January 10, I asked to see that very letter in their files—still nothing. I filed a complaint with the AG on February 27, 2024. Their response, via Kristen Settlemire, was a gut punch: “We represent the SOS, so we can’t mediate, but we’ll pass it along.” Pass it along? It’s been over a year, and my daily requests pile up, unanswered.

I turned to the Inspector General, begging them to force SOS compliance over that December 2023 request. Their excuse? “We don’t have the format you requested.” I didn’t ask for a format—I asked for access. It’s a dodge, plain and simple. The SOS isn’t just failing me—they’re thumbing their nose at the law and every Georgian’s right to know.

A Pattern of Defiance

This isn’t an isolated screw-up. The SOS has a track record of playing hide-and-seek with public records. In 2021, journalists chasing election audit details from the 2020 vote hit a wall—delays stretched weeks, forcing legal threats before records trickled out. In 2022, watchdog groups seeking voter roll data for integrity checks faced the same: late, incomplete responses, and more lawsuits looming. Requests for travel records to the SOS’s inauguration and staff expenses? Crickets. Requests to see my own prior requests? Nothing. Each time, the SOS drags its feet, betting on exhaustion or court costs to kill scrutiny.

Now they’re targeting me, a lone citizen armed with nothing but the Open Records Act and persistence. The law is crystal clear: agencies have three business days to respond (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(b)(1)(A)), fees must reflect actual costs with the first 15 minutes free (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(c)(1)), and denials need specific exemptions (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d)). The SOS is batting zero. They’ve blown deadlines, slapped on an unjustified $30 fee, and ghosted me on exemptions. Meanwhile, the Inspector General, Governor, and Attorney General handle my same daily requests without a hitch—why’s the SOS special?

Breaking Down the Law—and Their Excuses

Let’s cut through their smoke. My requests are “de minimis”—legal jargon for “takes almost no effort.” Historically, SOS staff whipped up a daily summary in minutes, no charge. Now they claim it’s too hard? Bull. That $30 monthly fee? The Act says fees can’t exceed the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee doing the work, minus the first quarter-hour. A month’s worth of logs shouldn’t cost more than a few bucks, tops—unless they’re padding it to punish me.

Their “format” excuse from the Inspector General complaint is laughable. I didn’t demand a spreadsheet or a fancy PDF—I said, “Let me see the requests.” The Act doesn’t let them off because they don’t like my phrasing; it mandates access unless exempt. And exemptions? They owe me a list of what’s off-limits and why. Fourteen months later, I’m still waiting.

A Power Grab in Plain Sight

This isn’t incompetence—it’s a power grab. By choking off daily access and jacking up fees, the SOS is choking transparency. Monthly snapshots? That’s a 30-day delay on oversight, a lifetime in politics. Charging for what was free? It’s a tax on accountability, designed to deter folks like me from digging. The SOS oversees elections, businesses, licenses—stuff that affects us all. If they can hide their tracks, who watches the watchers?

Their silence to the AG and Inspector General screams complicity. The AG’s “we can’t help because we’re their lawyer” line is a cop-out—someone’s got to enforce the law. The Inspector General’s “format” dodge is just SOS doublespeak in a different voice. They’re betting I’ll quit. They’re wrong.

The Stakes—and the Next Step

I’m not some gadfly—I’m a Georgian who believes sunlight’s the best disinfectant. The SOS’s defiance isn’t just my problem; it’s yours. What are they hiding in those records? Election quirks? Corporate favors? Inauguration junkets? We won’t know until they obey the law. I’ve exhausted every informal fix—letters, complaints, pleas, multiple personal visits. Both the SOS and Gabriel Sterling literally ran away from me when I merely said hello. Court’s the next stop if they don’t cough up my records by April 1, 2025. The Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-73) lets me sue, seek sanctions, even attorney fees. I’m ready.

But this fight’s bigger than me. Georgians need to rise up. Flood @GaSecofState and @Georgia_AG with demands—use #OpenTheBooks. Visit DogeGeorgia.org for my full report, emails, and proof of this mess. Share this piece. Call the SOS at 404-656-2881 and ask why they’re dodging Brant Meadows. If we let them lock the doors now, good luck getting in later.

Closing Shot

The SOS isn’t just failing at open records—they’re failing democracy. Transparency isn’t optional; it’s the bedrock of trust. I’ll keep swinging until those doors crack open. Join me, Georgia—let’s make them regret betting against us.

Update: The Fight Is On: Suing the SOS for Transparency—Your Help Opens the Books”