Opinion Number

Dear Professor Lamonica:

You have requested an opinion from our office on whether investigative/audit procedures performed by the LSU System in an effort to reduce fraudulent conduct is an exception to the accessibility of public records provided for in the Louisiana Constitution, Article 12 § 3. The constitutional provision should be applied liberally, allowing denial of such access only if the exception claimed falls under the exceptions specifically enumerated in LSA R.S. 44:4.1.

LSA R.S. 44:4.1A requires that any exception to the laws pertaining to the public records be specifically listed…