PUBLIC RECORDS ACT LAWSUIT

The RHWI Committee initiated the Public Records Act Lawsuit after the County failed to produce documents that would provide evidence of the County's illegal electioneering effort to thwart RHWI, an important citizen's initiative. Prior to the election, evidence kept surfacing that public officials were doing everything in their power to undermine the initiative process. Indeed, the Gogek article, published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, revealed the precise nature and parties involved in the illegal campaign activity.

Finally, after much legal wrangling, a hearing to decide whether or not documents would be turned over has been changed to a trial set for October 22, 1999. In preparation for the trial, a privilege log describing the authors and circumstances of the documents in question was given to RHWI lawyers. The privilege log, without a doubt, has confirmed our suspicions that there was collusion among high-ranking public officials with respect to the formation of the so-called County study of RHWI and its presentation to the Board of Supervisors. The privilege log refers to handwritten notes made by Gary Pryor, Director of the Department of Planning and Land Use, while talking to Larry Prior, the County's Chief Administrative Officer, regarding investigations into leaks regarding the presentation of the RHWI report to the Board.