Rogers attorney offers whistleblower testimony about Arkansas governor’s office altering records to avoid Freedom of Information Act requests

“These documents will substantiate my client’s firsthand knowledge of how certain persons in the Governor’s Office, including the Governor’s Communications Director, interfered with the production of non-exempt FOIA documents TSS [Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services] intended to produce to attorney Matt Campbell,” the letter states, followed by a list detailing four items.

Altering of documents to change their meaning and not provide the non-altered document to Campbell. Withholding other documents, including those that show purchases Sanders made on Amazon. Removing portions of email threads. By the governor’s office “sanitizing” a flash drive “all for the purpose of concealing that the Governor’s Office had altered an invoice from Beckett Events LLC and deliberately omitted from the production of responsive documents a number of documents that were not even arguably exempt from the FOIA or subject to any legal privilege.” Mars continues, stating that if this conduct occurred “it would appear to constitute a knowing violation” of Arkansas laws, including altering public records.