ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will pay the legal fees for a fiscally conservative think tank after admitting it was slow to respond to a public records request.
The Empire Center sued the transportation agency after its request for payroll records wasn’t answered on time. The MTA presented the records the day after the suit was filed.
In a settlement ending the case, the MTA stipulated that delays forced it to miss the legal deadline for a response. An agency spokesman said computer problems were to blame.
As part of the settlement, the MTA will pay the Empire Center’s $2,680 legal costs.
While that’s a small amount, Empire Center Executive Director Tim Hoefer says the settlement is a “big win” for government transparency and sends a message to other government agencies.
© 2015 Associated Press
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