Transparency News, 2/9/2023
Thursday
February 9, 2023
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state & local news stories
VCOG's annual legislative chart of FOIA and access-related bills
Virginia’s economic development agency says it has at least 1,700 emails and documents pertaining to talks about the possibility of a Ford Motor Co. battery plant landing at a Danville-area megasite. But it won’t release any of them under the state’s public records law. The Associated Press sought the records in January after Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin disclosed that he intervened in an apparent effort by Virginia to land the project. Youngkin objected to the role of a Chinese company in the joint venture, which he has characterized as a “front” for the Chinese Communist Party that would raise national security concerns. The AP sought emails that included any discussion of the possible project in the possession of certain agency leaders and staff of the business investment division.
Associated Press
The board that oversees the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport is closely examining the performance of its top executive, minutes from recent board meetings show. The Peninsula Airport Commission met in closed session Jan. 26 to discuss Airport Executive Director Mike Giardino — who has led the airport for five years — and Avelo Airlines, which recently began service at the airport. The six-member board came back into open session two hours later, according to minutes from the meeting. The scope of what was discussed wasn’t clear: Board members declined to talk about the matter this week, and Giardino did not return phone calls. His executive assistant said he was out of the country and couldn’t be reached. But after the board came back into public session, it voted 4-1 to approve a motion authorizing chairwoman Lindsey Carney-Smith to “take any and all actions” that she “may deem necessary” to carry out the board’s “purpose and intent.”
Daily Press
The Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office has reversed course in the ongoing case against a Virginia Beach pastor accused of solicitation, now objecting to having the records against him sealed from public view. As 8News previously reported, Rock Church International Pastor John Blanchard was arrested, along with 16 other men, in an undercover sex sting in Chesterfield County back in 2021. The majority of the cases against the other defendants moved forward, with some even serving jail time. But in October of 2022, the charges against Blanchard were dropped, citing a "lack of evidence." This was despite text messages showing conversations between Blanchard and police as officers posted as an underage prostitute to lure in potential offenders. After charges were dropped against him in October, Blanchard filed to have the records on the case sealed. Initially, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said they had no objection to this move. However, on Monday, Feb. 6, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney LaToya Croxton filed a motion and order objecting to expungement proceedings in the case against Blanchard.
WRIC
Charlottesville’s Police Civilian Oversight Board has canceled its monthly meeting that was scheduled for Thursday. According to a statement from the board, the cancellation is due to a lack of quorum, meaning the board will not have enough members present for a valid meeting. Per Charlottesville’s city code, the Police Civilian Oversight Board requires four members to have a quorum. Currently, only four of the board’s eight seats are filled.
The Daily Progress
stories of national interest
A federal appeals court sided again with North Carolina’s attorney general on Wednesday, saying a 1931 libel law is most likely unconstitutional. Josh Stein has sought to block a fellow Democrat from using the law to prosecute him over a 2020 campaign commercial. In a unanimous result, the three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, agreed with Stein and others associated with his political committee who have been seeking to stop a probe by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman’s office. The law makes it a misdemeanor for someone to help circulate “derogatory reports” about a candidate designed to harm their election chances while “knowing such report to be false or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity.”
The Virginian-Pilot
editorials & columns
"Here’s what I wrote then: 'What the heck is wrong with people?'"
In my time, I’ve covered lots of public meetings. I’ve also seen my share of hecklers. Over the years, they’ve come from both left and right and sometimes no particular political ideology, other than opposition to whatever the speaker was saying. They’ve all had one thing in common, though: None of them looked good doing it. The occasion for this observation is, of course, this week’s State of the Union Address where Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell County, proudly heckled President Joe Biden. Before I go further, let me lay out my credentials for criticizing Good’s behavior. In 2017, when I was editorial page editor of The Roanoke Times, I attended a public meeting in Moneta held by Good’s predecessor, Rep. Tom Garrett, R-Buckingham County. That meeting was loudly disrupted by protesters who presumably came from left of center politically. At least one was escorted out by police. Here’s what I wrote then: “What the heck is wrong with people?” At the risk of quoting myself, I’ll quote myself. This is what I wrote in 2019: “Disrupting the speech achieves nothing — it only further polarizes our civic life.”
Dwayne Yancey, Cardinal News
