iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Today, many portions of Connecticut's ALPR 'reform' law go into effect - among them a provision exempting ALPR data from FOIA. With it, a pending FOIC complaint I had seeking ALPR data is now effectively dead. The police department involved successfully ran the clock out.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

A UConn professor with a history of seeking romantic relationships with his students is under investigation for a third time. Text messages Inside Investigator obtained show Ricardo Salazar-Rey saying a student might be his 'soul mate' and expressing a desire to have children with them.

insideinvestigator.org

UConn professor facing third sexual harassment investigation

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The FOIC found earlier this week that video depicting the in custody death of J'Allen Jones, which was ruled a homicide, is exempt from FOIA - even though a redacted version of the video has been released through a court order: insideinvestigator.org/foic-jallen-...

insideinvestigator.org

FOIC: J'Allen Jones video exempt from FOIA

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

It's been over a year since CSCU officials said during an FOIC hearing (related to an FOI request Inside Investigator filed seeking docs on sexual misconduct investigations) that they were working on a new FOIA handbook for staff.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

ICYMI in this week's FOIA news: The FOIC rebuked former PURA legal director Scott Muska for unreasonably narrowing a search in response to a request from Eversource. insideinvestigator.org/foic-again-f...

insideinvestigator.org

FOIC again finds PURA officials violated FOIA

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Flock is a hot topic in the news now, but ALPR cameras have been around for decades - with little public input or oversight into their rollout. Check out my deep dive investigation into ALPR cameras in CT: insideinvestigator.org/silent-watch...

insideinvestigator.org

Silent Watchers: The rise of Connecticut's police camera network

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Despite maintaining it has no contract with Flock and has never paid them, a FOIA I submitted revealed thousands of pages of documents that show Hartford PD conversing with the company. Check out this great followup from my colleague Brandon Whiting: insideinvestigator.org/foia-reveals...

insideinvestigator.org

FOIA reveals inconsistencies with Hartford PD's claims about Flock

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

The Department of Social Services told me that, after conversation with the governor's office and "key stakeholders," they decided not to petition U.S. DHHS to allow the state to produce a generic GLP-1, despite a 2025 law requiring them to do so. insideinvestigator.org/as-ct-pursue...

insideinvestigator.org

DSS not seeking petition from HHS on generic GLP-1

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

In January, Hartford PD told me (in response to a FOIA request) that they don't have a contract with Flock Safety. I just got almost 2,000 pages of documents in response to a FOIA request for communication between Hartford PD and Flock.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Former New Britain mayor Erin Stewart dropped out of the CT governor's race after an independent investigation called P-Card purchasing policies from her time in office into question. insideinvestigator.org/transparency...

insideinvestigator.org

Transparency Update: Stewart scandal shows importance of routine FOI requests

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Reposted by Katherine Revello

MuckRock @muckrock.com · 18/05/2026

Connecticut has some of the lowest FOIA fees in the country, but pending cases could allow for agencies to charge hourly fees. New from @foiakatherine.bsky.social for @insideinvestigator.bsky.social. insideinvestigator.org/priced-out-f...

insideinvestigator.org

Priced Out: FOI requesters sound the alarm as hourly FOIA fees may be coming to Connecticut

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

It's taken Inside Investigator *years* to obtain records about misconduct at public colleges. But through that process, I've learned a lot about what to request through FOIA. If you're interested in obtaining similar records, check out some tips here: insideinvestigator.org/transparency...

insideinvestigator.org

Transparency Update: How to FOI sexual misconduct records

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Reposted by Katherine Revello

MuckRock @muckrock.com · 11/05/2026

In Virginia, the cost of accessing public records can range from free to tens of thousands of dollars — raising questions about how public that information really is, reports @vcij.bsky.social.

buff.ly

In Virginia, public information has a price

In Virginia, the cost of accessing public records can range from free to tens of thousands of dollars — raising questions about how public that information really is.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Part 2 of our ongoing investigation into how sexual misconduct allegations are investigated and disciplined on college campuses. insideinvestigator.org/patchwork-ho...

insideinvestigator.org

Patchwork: How UConn and CSCU handle sexual misconduct allegations

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Question for other folks who have filed FOIA requests for ALPR audit logs: have you run into unreasonable fee requests? I have one PD trying to charge me $1,000+ in per page copying fees and another trying to charge $30 for a flash drive because they refuse to turn over records via email.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

The Connecticut legislature adjourned sine die at midnight last night, with a number of outstanding FOIA exemption bills still sitting on chamber calendars. insideinvestigator.org/adjournment-...

insideinvestigator.org

Adjournment kills FOI exemptions

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

We're in the final few hours of the legislative session. The House yesterday passed a bill fixing a change in a bill it previously passed that exempted cannabis enforcement board meetings from FOIA disclosure. insideinvestigator.org/house-passes...

insideinvestigator.org

House passes DCP bill fixing cannabis FOI issue

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

DESPP was able to withhold a document we know was fabricated after the in-custody death of an inmate a homicide not because the information is exempt from disclosure, but because it was created by another agency. insideinvestigator.org/transparency...

insideinvestigator.org

Transparency Update: 2024 law makes FOI toothless against homicide, fraud

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Whether it's pages from previous administrations that have been taken down or datasets that politicians have scrubbed, the Internet Archive is a crucial open access tool for journalists. Publishers who are undermining it are undermining the future success of their newsrooms.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I'm auditing Connecticut state agency response times - and the length of time it's taking the majority of state agencies to respond to a simple request for a log of requests received in 2025 just reinforces that the state has a problem. insideinvestigator.org/300000-to-st...

insideinvestigator.org

$300,000 to study FOIA wait times? We could do it for free.

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I'm quoted in this piece talking about quorum requirements (which trigger open meeting protections) and why they're crucial to public oversight. This is a great writeup about a concerning issue unfolding in Ansonia: valley.newhavenindependent.org/2026/03/30/a...

valley.newhavenindependent.org

Are Ansonia’s Budget ‘Workshops’ Transparent? - Valley Independent Sentinel

ANSONIA – Mayor Frank Tyszka’s administration is following a budget process that raises questions about transparency. At issue – the city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation (or tax board) has been ...

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

The Office of Policy and Management is now the THIRD agency that has been told it cannot charge FOIA requesters for time its employees spend reviewing responsive records. insideinvestigator.org/foic-finds-o...

insideinvestigator.org

FOIC finds OPM improperly charged for FOI records

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

A bill to expand CT's vexatious requester statute to include "threatening" or "harassing" behavior even if it occurs OUTSIDE a FOIA request has advanced out of committee." insideinvestigator.org/vexatious-re...

insideinvestigator.org

Vexatious requester, public school FOI exemptions move forward

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Reposted by Katherine Revello

Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 23/03/2026

The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene here is an absolute travesty for press freedom rights.

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Reposted by Katherine Revello

MuckRock @muckrock.com · 17/03/2026

Attorneys for at least 13 agencies and departments have explicitly stated in 26 FOIA lawsuits that the downsizings were the reasons for failures to meet FOIA deadlines, reports @foianate.bsky.social. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

washingtonpost.com

Did Trump’s cuts slow access to public records? We found 26 cases that say yes.

Lawyers’ pleas for extensions reveal post-DOGE staffing woes at federal agencies’ Freedom of Information Act offices.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

If you're interested in obtaining public information, there are some things you should know before you file a records request. Check out some of my top tips for understanding what's required under the law and what's not.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Today kicks off Sunshine Week, a week dedicated to promoting open government and public records laws. CT filers: check out our new Transparency Resources page. It houses our FOI library, (newly updated) FOI directory, and links to Transparency Update: insideinvestigator.org/transparency...

insideinvestigator.org

Transparency Resources

Freedom of Information Act resources

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Sunshine Week starts in just a few days, but here in CT, legislators are trying to exempt more and more categories of records from Freedom of Information Act disclosure. Here's a rundown of bills that were introduced/will receive legislative action this week:

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

A CT bill aimed at restricting the distribution of deepfakes prior to elections has raised concerns from free speech groups and broadcasters who worry it makes them responsible for manipulated content they did not create in ads: insideinvestigator.org/deepfake-bil...

insideinvestigator.org

Deepfake bill draws fire from broadcasters, free speech advocates

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

My latest investigation takes a look at the pending cases seeking to rewrite CT's FOIA law to allow agencies to charge hourly fees for time spent searching for records - and how some could be priced out of requests should the effort succeed. insideinvestigator.org/priced-out-f...

insideinvestigator.org

Priced Out: FOI requesters sound the alarm as hourly FOIA fees may be coming to Connecticut

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

SB 4 is getting a public hearing today. That's the other bill seeking to exempt ALPR information from FOIA. The proposed ban is buried in a huge consumer privacy bill and will get little attention. I've written about why it's a terrible idea here: insideinvestigator.org/transparency...

insideinvestigator.org

Transparency Update: ALPR exemption kneecaps journalists

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

There's now a second bill to exempt ALPR data from FOIA here in CT: www.cga.ct.gov/2026/TOB/H/P...

cga.ct.gov

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Flock's CEO has equated FOI requests about data his company is collecting to attacks on cops. A FOIA request I sent to Manchester PD captured numerous copies of that email, sent to dept. members with Flock access. Exempting ALPR data from FOIA is giving Flock what they want.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

More on what exactly is in the 'consumer privacy' bill to exempt ALPR info from FOIA here: insideinvestigator.org/bill-would-b...

insideinvestigator.org

Bill would ban automated license plate reader data from FOIA

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

New CT bill would exempt ALPR data from FOIA: www.cga.ct.gov/2026/TOB/S/P...

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Both the language to close the referenda ballot 'loophole' and to restrict access to CT's voter files for "state governmental purposes" and to individuals like journalists and scholars are in the emergency certification bill the Senate is taking up today.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Jason LaChapelle won an FOIC case finding that Colchester had to turn over ballots cast at a stand-alone town budget referendum. The ruling was the result of a lack of clarity in state statute. All other types of ballots are exempt from FOIA.

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Reposted by Katherine Revello

New England First Amendment Coalition @nefac.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

A Connecticut State Police policy ‘restricts’ troopers from communicating directly with journalists. Read more from @insideinvestigator.bsky.social: insideinvestigator.org/gag-order-st... #journalism

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Sworn Connecticut State Police personnel are 'restricted' from talking directly to various departments within their own agency and with the media according to an internal memo from September. insideinvestigator.org/gag-order-st...

insideinvestigator.org

'Gag order': State Police reroute comms through colonel's office

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Sunshine Week 2026 is only a month away! It's a great opportunity to learn about how you can better use public records requests. Reach out to me at katherine@insideinvestigator.org and tell me what topics you want to hear about during #sunshineweek.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Today in session FOIA news: The Government Oversight Committee meets at 1 and will vote on raising a bill to exempt the residential addresses of public teachers from being released under FOIA. A bill on this subject appeared last year but didn't make it to final passage.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

State employee overtime spending keeps going up. But analysis of why that's happening relies on public facing dashboards (which are not always accurate) and not underlying data. It turns out trying to obtain that data through FOIA isn't easy: insideinvestigator.org/overtime-as-...

insideinvestigator.org

Overtime: As costs grow to $399 million, explanations vary

Read More at Inside Investigator >>

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Reposted by Katherine Revello

Chris Polansky @chrispolansky.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

via Hearst: Out-of-state police are using Connecticut license plate camera data for immigration enforcement "In another instance, police in Johnson County, Texas searched the Connecticut data for a woman it said had an abortion, records from five departments show."

ctinsider.com

Out-of-state police are using Connecticut license plate camera data for immigration enforcement

A full record of which police departments are using the equipment is not kept by state officials.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Big changes are potentially coming to Connecticut 's Freedom of Information Act as a number of state agencies, all represented by the attorney general's office, push to allow requesters to be charged for hourly time employees spend searching for documents.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I frequently call out agencies that fail their FOIA duties, so I think it's also important to highlight agencies that are doing a good job. FOIA does get abused, but unfortunately the abuses of a few bad actors are often an excuse to restrict FOIA and put information beyond the public's view.

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Concerning statement from Connecticut's AG: “People have a First Amendment right to speak — yes,” Tong said. “Threatening and intimidating people and hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment.” www.courant.com/2026/01/22/c...

courant.com

CT AG William Tong faces ugly online hate. It happened after his family romped with a puppy in snow.

William Tong thought it was innocuous. In a world filled with harsh rhetoric and hate speech online, the Connecticut state attorney general recently posted a simple video of himself with a five-mon…

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

ACLU highlighting an email from Flock's CEO dismissing people concerned about privacy as ALPRs are rolled out as wanting to "normalize lawlessness." Also significant: dismissing attempts to use records requests to learn more about Flock as "weaponizing" FOI laws. www.aclu.org/news/privacy...

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Katherine Revello @foiakatherine.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

In search of First Amendment experts to talk about state hate crime reporting tools and how exempting that information from FOIA could harm free speech. DM or email me at katherine@insideinvestigator.org.

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