As County Leaders Tout Transparency—They Fight Public Records Releases
- Media
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
Voice of San Diego last week sued the county to try to force the release of complaints against an ex-county contractor, marking the latest legal wrangling with the county over public records.
Voice of San Diego is suing the county to try to force the release of whistleblower complaints against a former county contractor that could shed light on what the county knew long before the nonprofit was embroiled in a criminal misappropriation case involving public money.
Voice’s lawsuit filed in Superior Court on Friday marks the latest legal dispute between the county and Voice of San Diego over public records. It comes as County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer gears up to pitch the need for a ballot measure to improve transparency and she and her colleagues often cite the public’s support for a more open county government. But county leaders are often not choosing transparency on public records.
The latest case involves a record that District Attorney Summer Stephan described as she announced felony charges against the former chief operating officer of the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego. Stephan told reporters that a January 2023 whistleblower report highlighted red flags with a former contractor. Voice submitted a public records request for the 2023 whistleblower report and others filed about the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego, hoping to reveal what the county knew about potential improprieties before its former chief operating officer faced felony charges.
The county refused to hand over the documents.
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By Lisa Halverstadt, Senior Investigative Reporter | April 7, 2026 | Voice of San Diego
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