Michigan city and township officials respond to FOIA from ‘Emily’

City and township officials in Mason County and across the state were rocked last week by a mysterious Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for all copies of all Election Day ballots and personal absentee voter information from the 2016 presidential election.

The request came from an organization called United Impact Group with a listed address in Astoria, New York, which is in Queens. It did not contain an explanation or reason for the request.

The letter was signed, simply, “Emily.”

The City of Ludington on Monday shared its copy of the letter, which included a contact phone number and email address, with the Daily News, and LDN staff subsequently reached out to the group seeking a comment about the motives behind the statewide FOIA request, but has not heard back at this time.

Representatives from local municipalities said the requests started to filter into the county around Monday, Aug. 20 and have now made their way to every township and city in the county. (Read more…)