Public records requests are useful and easy
A public records request I did today
I saw a tweet from Ian Miles Cheong that asked why Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot “keep[s] making these horrid videos and why are taxpayers paying for it?” This tweet was specifically about a Sweet Home Chicago video that Lightfoot made and posted to a “mayorlightfoot” social media account.
As I saw this, Cheong brought to mind a few questions, such as 1.) What else is she making? 2.) Did taxpayers really pay for it? 3.) How much did it cost? 4.) What discussions did her and her staff have about it?
And since I know the principles that are taught in Project Accountability, the next step was an easy and natural one that took less than 4 minutes of my time.
I sent the following text to the email address MOfoia@cityofchicago.org (which is an email address for the Mayor’s office):
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Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to request the following public records under state and local law.
1.) All emails, both to and from, and all attachments, related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
2.) All meeting notes related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
3.) All calendar entries related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
4.) All raw video footage related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
5.) All finished video footage related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
6.) All budget documents related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
7.) All budgets analysis related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
8.) All contracts related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
9.) All invoices related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
10.) All cancelled checks related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
11.) All text messages, both to and from, and all attachments related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
12.) All social media messages, both to and from, and all attachments related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
13.) All other documents related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
14.) All other data related to the Mayor’s Sweet Home Chicago video posted on or about October 5, 2022 to the social media account named “mayorlightfoot”
15.) All emails, both to and from, and all attachments, related to other videos in this same series
16.) All meeting notes related to other videos in this same series
17.) All calendar entries related to other videos in this same series
18.) All raw video footage related to other videos in this same series
19.) All finished video footage related to other videos in this same series
20.) All budget documents related to other videos in this same series
21.) All budgets analysis related to other videos in this same series
22.) All contracts related to other videos in this same series
23.) All invoices related to other videos in this same series
24.) All cancelled checks related to other videos in this same series
25.) All text messages, both to and from, and all attachments related to other videos in this same series
26.) All social media messages, both to and from, and all attachments related to other videos in this same series
27.) All other documents related to other videos in this same series
28.) All other data related to other videos in this same series
Please treat each item as a distinct records requests and provide responses for each one independently of the others.
Confirmation of receipt is requested.
Thank you for your time.
Allan Stevo
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If you would like to know the answers to those questions as well, just copy and paste the same text and send it to the same address. Anytime you have a question about a politician abusing the powers of office, a public records request can be a powerful tool that the politician cannot legally ignore.
It can be so much more powerful than just a document request related to some videos.
If you would like to know how and why to do public records requests just like this, only tougher, join me in Project Accountability, and become a public records warrior alongside the army of public records warriors that are already involved in Project Accountability as we seek to stomp out the corona communism that has overtaken our land and as we make it impossible for it to ever return again. You have until midnight Pacific time, tonight, Wednesday before the doors close.
Join me in Project Accountability by singing up here. (https://realstevo.com/pure-account-open)
I'm looking forward to your article posting the results of your request!!!!!
That email is gold. I can only imagine the reaction of the people receiving it! 🤣