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The ombudsman, who is appointed by the legislature, has jurisdiction to investigate the administrative "acts of agencies." Haw. Rev. Stat. § 96-5; see generally id., ch. 96 (describing functions of the Office of Ombudsman).
The Public Access Counselor established in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General acts as the ombudsman deciding and, in some cases, mediating FOIA disputes. The procedures before the Public Access Counselor’s office as well as relevant timeframes for submitting arguments are set forth in 5 ILCS 140/9.5.
The Office of the Public Access Counselor responds to inquiries from the public and public agencies on public access issues. Ind. Code § 5-14-4-5. An individual or a public agency denied the right to inspect or copy records may file a formal complaint or make an informal inquiry with the Counselor. Ind. Code § 5-14-5-6. The complaint must be filed within 30 days of the denial of access. Ind. Code § 5-14-5-7. Once the Public Access Counselor receives the complaint, a copy must be forwarded immediately to the public agency that is the subject of the complaint. Ind. Code § 5-14-5-8.
