Can a city council member legally disseminate water disconnection information to the public?
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Can a city council member legally disseminate water disconnection information to the public?
A city council member attained information regarding persons on the water disconnection list and took that information to the public. Is this legal and if not what can be done?
Asked on October 13, 2010 under Personal Injury, Illinois
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
The question here is is the disconnection information a matter of public record? If it was already a matter of public record and all he did was to re-publicthe information in a public setting probably not. Often journalists comb through public records and then make the "more public" by using the information in an article that is printed in the newspaper. He or she just took information that was off the beaten path, so to speak, and put it out there in front of the world's eyes. If, however, the council member used his or her position to obtain the information and then published it that would be a different story. Or if he or she used their office to target you specifically in an attempt to embarras or harass you - whether or not the information was public - I could see that being a problem as well. I would speak with an attorney in your area on the subject. Good luck.
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