Healey defends transparency, says denied records are exempt

Photo | Courtesy of State House News Service Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey

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By Chris Lisinski | State House News Service

Gov. Maura Healey, whose administration has released some public records and withheld many others, signaled Thursday that she is not too happy about getting mixed reviews for transparency.

During Healey's latest appearance on GBH News's "Boston Public Radio," host Margery Eagan referenced an Axios recap of the first-term governor's track record so far after Healey pledged she would break from her predecessors in the corner office who claimed a blanket exemption from the state's public records law.

Axios reported that Healey's office so far has produced some redacted calendars and information about her trip to Ireland, but has withheld correspondence with legislative leaders, email and phone logs, records related to the hiring of MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, sexual harassment complaints and any written communications showing how the administration stockpiled doses of the abortion pill mifepristone.

"How come those things are closed off?" Eagan asked.

"As you might imagine, I probably take issue with the characterization of our responses," Healey replied. "I said at the outset that I was going to do everything that I could as governor to be as transparent with the public as possible, and that included not just doing what is under law my right -- right now, the law doesn't apply to me in terms of public records -- but I did comply, of course, as I had to as attorney general, and I said that I was going to continue in that vein."

The governor said documents her office denied to release "are exempt under the public records law" because of things like "attorney-client privilege," "safety implications" or a carveout for "deliberative process."

"We have produced, including my calendar, a lot more information than other administrations. It may not be everything that everyone wants at all times, but know that we are making calls and judgments that are really in the best interest of the administration of the state," Healey said.