FOIA Request to City and County of Honolulu regarding contingency fee contracts on June 18, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the City and County of Honolulu by a reporter from the Honolulu Reporter. The request seeks detailed information about contingency fee contracts under the Hawaii Open Records Law § 91-1 et seq.
The specific records requested include all contingency fee agreements between the City and County of Honolulu and any external attorneys or law firms that have been in effect over the past 12 months. Additionally, the request asks for all engagement agreements or contracts with three specific law firms: Sher Edling LLP, Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC, and Rex Sharp or Sharp Law LLP, also within the last year.
This request is made on behalf of both the Honolulu Reporter and The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing transparency in government actions. The requester has indicated that they are seeking this information in an electronic format to facilitate their reporting duties. Furthermore, they have requested a waiver of fees typically associated with such requests, citing their role as a media professional.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
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