In places where there is either an apathetic press or no press at all, elected officials become emboldened to do virtually whatever they want. Well, that dog no longer hunts in Augusta, Ga.
The primary role of the press is to keep the government in check.
Former state senator, Charles Walker, was famously quoted as saying that no reporter with “worn out penny loafers” could ever bring him down. Famous last words. A year later, he was cooling his heels in Federal prison because of a radio talk show host, which isn’t the same thing as a reporter, of course, but it is a type of media personality.
Former Augusta mayor, Hardie Davis Jr., was so brazen that he did not even bother to hide his tracks until the bloodhounds homed in on him, and then he did what every corrupt politician does, he tried to hide behind the law and refuse to release documents.
The end result for Davis was not prison, but the odds of him winning another elected office in the state of Georgia are about as good as a three legged horse winning the Aiken Steeplechase.
Davis’ divorce was also impacted as he was prevented from selling his former marital home until he settled up with The Augusta Press after losing a lawsuit over the Open Records Act. While that case is on appeal, Davis still had to come out of pocket a pay the sanction rendered upon him personally by the court for violating the law.
The mission of The Augusta Press is simple. We exist to inform the public whether the news is good, bad or indifferent.
Unlike other media companies that have bean-counters who cringe at the thought of paying an attorney, the stated policy of The Augusta Press is that if an elected official or government body refuses to hand over records that are in the public domain, a lawsuit is immediately filed.
The Augusta Press has not lost a court case yet.
Sheriff Richard Roundtree currently has two pending cases against him, one that was filed just last week over Roundtree’s refusal to hand over body cam footage in the March 23 incident where a Burke County deputy was arrested after attempting to report child abuse.
Roundtree insists that the Richmond County arresting officer was justified in his handling of the situation, but refuses to release the body cam footage.
What Roundtree and others fail to realize is that their actions not only deprive the public of solid, verifiable information, it has a direct impact on others who just happen to work for them.
We feel that Chief Deputy Patrick Clayton is a good lawman with a stellar career track record. It is no secret that Clayton aspires to one day become sheriff of Columbia County.
However, Clayton’s silent endorsement of Roundtree’s policies ultimately paints him with the same brush, and the voters in Columbia County, a bloc that demands transparency, are more likely to vote for legalized brothels in the county before they elect someone who will usher in Roundtree’s evasive policies.
A politician being sanctioned by the court personally is rare. Usually they are able to charge their legal bills off to the taxpayers.
Ultimately, the open records law should be revised so that when elected officials are proven to be in violation of the law, they should not be able to reach into the taxpayers wallet to pay their bills, they should be held personally responsible. Citizens and the press should not be forced to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to hold their own government accountable.
