Public Records Request Workshop
December 17, 2025
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WELCOME
Public Records Request Workshop
December 17, 2025
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WELCOME
Hello! I’m...
Kate
Co-founder of the Rural Privacy Coalition, and local anti-surveillance activist. I’m the author of the Skamania Dispatch newsletter, summarizing Skamania & Klickitat public meetings. I also help host town halls for residents of the NSA.
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What is a Public Record?
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Your right to know how govt works
What is a public record?
Laws that govern requests
A public record is any information created or used by a government agency that must be available for the public to inspect.
It refers to the content, regardless of format.
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Why Public Records Matter
The Potential Impact
Real Gorge Example
Flock LPR cameras were announced in Skamania County. Public records helped us find out:
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Partial Grant for Flock Falcon System
Source: SCSD Grant to the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority - 2024
Skamania Under Surveillance - 2025
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Key to Reporting, Activism, Justice
Erin Brockovich / PG&E Chromium-6 Case (1991-1996)
The Epstein / Acosta Secret Plea Deal (2008-2019)
The Pentagon Papers (1971)
The NYT used FOIA + leaked documents to reveal decades of government misinformation about the Vietnam War.
This case relied heavily on public water-quality records and regulatory filings, which revealed PG&E had known about the chromium contamination for years.
Court records and investigative FOIA work uncovered how federal prosecutors secretly cut a deal protecting Jeffrey Epstein.
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Choosing what to request
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What you can ask for
Emails, texts, memos, meeting notes
Internal rubrics, guides, training documents
Permits & Applications
Contracts & Invoices
Incident reports or disciplinary actions
Your data!
And much more
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Many items are online, no request required
Common Exemptions
What is a “Personal Privacy” Exemption?
A personal privacy exemption allows an agency to withhold if releasing a record would be:
• Highly offensive to a “reasonable person” and
• Not of legitimate public concern.
This typically protects things like:
The intention is to prevent harm to private individuals, not to shield government conduct - it becomes controversial when agencies use it to hide government decisions, police actions, or documents that should be public.
MuckRock.com - Public Records Request Platform
We can visit to find examples, and templates, sorted by agency, and more!
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Thank you to Dave Maass of EFF for sharing these slides!
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Take 3 minutes to brainstorm some ideas of what you’d like to request, and from who
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How to file your first request
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Public Request Language
As experts at EFF remind us: “There's no right way to write a public records request. But it's best to be focused, clear and polite.
At a minimum, you should include:
Additionally you can include:
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We can use templates
Find a record type on MuckRock.com you would like to use to make your first template.
If you like, you can use tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, or others to put the text of an existing request, and ask it to modify it for your state, the agency you are asking the information for.
I always recommend starting with a request that has worked to get back records before, even if it was in another state or city.
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Let’s try it together!
Take 5 min to find a request on MuckRock you’d like to use as a template
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Where to file your request
Direct to Agency
On MuckRock.com
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Privacy Considerations
Your records request is indeed also a public record!
It’s not common, but people can sometimes request the “public records request logs” to see who requested certain items.
You do not need to use your real name. However, it is helpful to use your real name if you need to take legal action to push for the disclosure of a record.
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What’s happening in WA right now
Gorge Under Surveillance - 2025
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/14/skamania-county-sheriff-flock-cameras/
A WA citizen filed public records request of Flock footage. Police agencies and Flock Safety tried to block the release of those records under the Public Records Act, but a judge ruled that the data is public.
So images Flock cameras create must be released to any person who requests them, affirming that Washington residents have a right to see how these cameras (and their tax dollars) are used.
In response, many cities and counties, including Skamania, indicated intent to have the cameras disabled so they don’t collect data that might have to be released on demand.
The case is currently being appealed.
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Getting your results
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What Happens after You file
Provides timeline or installments
May ask for clarification
Provides rolling releases
Agency acknowledges request
Optional: may return “no responsive records” or exemption
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How to Read an Exemption Notice
If Your Request Is Denied
Or, meant to discourage you pursuing the request by imposing ex: a fee or timeline that is unreasonable
How to File an Appeal
1. Restate request
2. Quote exemption
3. Explain why it may not apply
4. Request narrower review
5. FOIA: ask for Vaughn index
Appeal/Denial Support
Chaining Your Requests
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Boston Globe Spotlight Case
1. Reporters requested internal church files about abusive priests.
The Church replied that no such documents existed.
2. But in other public records like court filings, memos, letters reporters found references to those exact files.
A footnote, a line in a letter, or an email would say things like:
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Boston Globe Spotlight Case
3. Those tiny mentions proved the documents DID exist.
Once reporters had evidence of their existence, they could:
4. When the hidden files finally came out, they exposed decades of abuse and cover-ups.
This is what triggered the worldwide investigation and reforms.
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Even if an agency denies having something, you can often find references to that document buried inside other documents, and that breadcrumb is enough to force disclosure.
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Remember: you are not bothering people. It is their job, and the government’s responsibility,
to respond to our requests.
Thank you for doing your part!
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Thank you!
Time for questions, and study hall to finish your first records requests.
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Let’s File! Steps Reminder:
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Editable Icons
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