Media Contact

Contacts: Meredith Curtis Goode, media@aclu-md.org, office: (410)-889-8555 and cell: (443)-310-9946

November 9, 2017

See the ACLU MPIA requests:

MEDIA STATEMENT

BALTIMORE: In order to ensure government transparency in the disbursement of subsidies, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland has sent Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) requests to the State of Maryland and several local jurisdictions that jointly submitted proposals, including Baltimore City, and Charles, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties, in response to Amazon's Request for Proposals seeking submissions from Metropolitan Statistical Areas regarding the site for Amazon's second headquarters. 

The following can be attributed to David Rocah, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU of Maryland:

"The public has a right to see proposals submitted by their elected officials, especially when they potentially include massive taxpayer-funded subsidies. Especially egregious is the refusal of at least two of the jurisdictions, Baltimore City and Montgomery County, to release the details of proposals submitted on their behalf. Incredibly, the Baltimore Development Corporation, a quasi public entity that wields great power in the disbursement of resources in the city, has refused to comply with a Baltimore Sun MPIA request, saying they do not have a copy of a proposal that has been described as the City's ‘top priority' for five weeks leading up to its submission. While the proposal might have been created in partnership with Sagamore Development Corporation, it is nonetheless still a proposal by the City and State."

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