Americans for Prosperity Foundation-Kansas Files Second Open Records Act Complaint with Attorney General Against Department of Commerce
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| August 28, 2024
TOPEKA, KS –Americans for Prosperity Foundation-Kansas (AFPF-KS) filed a Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) complaint today against the Department of Commerce (Commerce). AFPF-KS filed the complaint with the Attorney General after the agency failed to provide reports requested by AFPF-KS over seven months ago regarding a Commerce-run corporate welfare scheme called the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act (APEX).
Commerce has not only failed to produce those records, but the agency has not responded to a single inquiry about the status of the request since its original reply on January 9, 2024. Along with demanding Commerce provide those APEX reports, AFPF-KS continues to request the Attorney General’s Office open an investigation into how Commerce responds to KORA requests.
AFPF-KS State Director, Elizabeth Patton, issued the following statement:
“The APEX program doled out over $1 billion in incentives to favored companies. The public deserves to be able to inspect the quarterly and annual reports the law required Commerce to complete. AFPF-KS’ experience suggests that Commerce has no interest in complying with transparency laws. The agency must be held accountable.”
Read the KORA complaint.
Read the KORA request.
Background AFPF-KS previously filed a KORA complaint against Commerce in December 2022 regarding a 2021 KORA request seeking access to all internal or external studies or reports, project feasibility studies, and e-mail communications about the STAR Bond program. That complaint remains pending with the Office of the Attorney General a year-and-a-half later. Read AFPF-KS’ 2022 KORA complaint.
