Seeking to learn more about the election integrity unit of Virginia’s attorney general’s office, the state’s chapter of the NAACP has put down a $20,000 deposit to fulfill a request for unit records.
Virginia’s NAACP President Robert Barnette said there’s not enough transparency about the unit and he feels the price aims to discourage the Freedom of Information Act request, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
“Given the importance of fair elections, the attorney general’s stated desire for transparency, we would have thought he would want to make these records public,” Barnette said in a news conference outside the state Capitol on Tuesday.
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In September, Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the creation of the unit to provide legal advice to the Department of Elections and investigate and prosecute violations of state election law.
That month, the NAACP chapter requested records related to the unit’s creation, expenditures, activities and any documented election fraud cases, Barnette said. The office quoted about 500 hours to produce the records and a nearly $20,000 deposit, he said.
State law allows public bodies to charge compensation for FOIA requests, Miyares spokesperson Victoria LaCivita said. The deposit was received Tuesday and the request will be filled within seven business days, or on Nov. 10, LaCivita said.