Push for transparency over data center emails hits brick wall
A community activist in Coweta, Oklahoma, encountered a "brick wall" in his push for transparency regarding suspicious emails supporting a proposed data center. His open records request for unredacted names of email senders was denied by the city and upheld by the Oklahoma Attorney General's office. This leaves questions about the legitimacy of public support for the "Project Atlas" data center unresolved.
Community activist Darren Blanchard in Coweta, Oklahoma, revealed findings from an open records request concerning a proposed data center, codenamed "Project Atlas," in early June. His request uncovered text messages between Coweta's vice mayor and mayor discussing emails supporting the project, with concerns raised about their legitimacy. Vice Mayor Barnett even contacted a resident whose name appeared on a pro-data center email, only to be told the resident never sent it and opposed the project.
Blanchard's efforts to investigate further were hindered when the City of Coweta redacted the names of individuals in subsequent open records requests, preventing him from verifying the authenticity of other supportive emails. Blanchard argued that these communications should be public, similar to public comments at meetings, and pointed out that the city had previously released unredacted information in other requests.
In response, Blanchard filed a complaint with the Oklahoma Attorney General's office. However, the Attorney General sided with the City of Coweta, citing that the Open Records Act permits public bodies to keep confidential communications from individuals exercising constitutional rights. The AG's office stated that the decision to keep sender identities confidential rests with the city's discretion, leaving the "email scandal a big mystery." Blanchard fears that authorities like the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation might view these as "victimless crimes."