Public officials

A nonprofit environmental group is suing the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General under the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to documents related to the firing of a high-ranking Interior official and other recent investigations.

The Media Law Prof Blog reports that a Georgia state appellate court upheld a summary judgment holding in a libel suit against the Savannah Morning News. 

The University of North Dakota's Presidential Search Committee wants the State Board of Higher Education to lobby for weaker open meetings and open records laws to aid the search for a new university president, the Grand Forks (N. Dak.) Herald reported [free registration required] this week. 

Utah state archivist Patricia Smith-Mansfield served the public well by standing up to pressure from former Gov. Mike Leavitt to pull from the public archives transcripts of "Early Morning Seminary" meetings involving the governor and his staff.

In an interesting use of editorial discretion, the San Bernardino County Sun decided to remove the names on a list of public officials' titles and corresponding salaries.

In response to a defamation claim in Georgia, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg argued that a New York State privilege should immunize him from liability for statements he made in the course of his official duties. While the public official privilege in New York is absolute, public officials in Georgia only enjoy a qualified privilege.