Paso Robles Councilmember Chris Bausch has turned over thousands of emails and text messages to the city of Paso Robles. It's part of a court order in a public records lawsuit filed by the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
The Tribune sued both Bausch and the city, claiming they failed to fully comply with public records requests. The city said it had produced all non-exempt records– except those on Bausch’s personal devices, which he had refused to hand over.
According to the City, Bausch has just submitted 5,400 records. They reportedly shed light on his dealings with former city manager Ty Lewis.
Karl Olson, the Tribune’s attorney, said Bausch’s compliance is a win for transparency.
“We're grateful to the judge for acting quickly and ordering him to turn over records, and I'm certainly grateful to the Tribune for fighting in the tradition of a free press,” Olson said.
Next, the city will go through the records and decide if any qualify for exemption before giving them to the Tribune.
Olson said he advises the city against prolonging the process, which has already been costly and time-consuming.
“I strongly urge the city not to be over-aggressive on trying to withhold stuff because I think that would be a stupendous waste of taxpayer money,” Olson said. “We already had to fight to get Bausch to turn over the records.”
Paso Robles City Attorney Elizabeth Hull told KCBX in an email that the City will finish providing all non-exempt documents by June 16.
“The City takes its responsibilities under the California Public Records Act seriously and will continue to provide all responsive documents in a timely manner,” Hull said.
Bausch did not respond to a request for comment before broadcast.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 27.
