What's in the Dropbox? Some want to know if county is hiding files A WESH 2 News Investigation raises the question: what kind of public records are passed around in the cloud? Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT MILES WERE REGISTERED. ALL THREE FACE GRAND THEFT AND TRESPASSING CHARGES. A WESH 2 NEWS INVESTIGATION RAISES THE QUESTION: WHAT KIND OF PUBLIC RECORDS ARE PASSED AROUND IN THE CLOUD? THE STATE ATTORNEY IN ORANGE COUNTY HAS BEEN ASKED TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS THAT MAYOR JACOBS AND OTHER OFFICIALS MIGHT NOT BE PROVIDING PUBLIC RECORDS STOREED ON SO-CALLED FIRE SHARING SYSTEMS. THIS COMES ONE YEAR AFTER THE MAYOR AND FORMER COMMISSIONERS PAID CIVIL FINES FOR BREAKING SUNSHINE LAWS. WESH 2 NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX UNCOVERED THE STORY AND HE TELLS US HOW LONG THE MAYOR'S OFFICE USED THE FILE SHARING SYSTEM. THESE ARE THE TWO BIGGEST QUESTIONS RAIDED IN THIS NEW INVESTIGATION. IS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FULFILLING PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS BY MAKING AVAILABLE ALL INFORMATION INCLUDING WHAT'S IN A SO-CALLED DROP BOX AND WHO HAS ACCESS TO IT? ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR TERESA JACOBS HAS BUILT HER POLITICAL REPUTATION ON THE PRINCIPAL OF TRANSPARENCY. NOW SHE'S BEING CHALLENGED ON IT. ONE OF THE GROUPS BEHIND A FAILED SICK PAY INITIATIVE IN 2012 IS ALLEGING THE MAYOR AND HER STAFF ARE HIDING PUBLIC RECORDS IN DROP BOX. THE ONLINE SYSTEM PROVIDES CLOUD BASED FILE SHARING THAT ONLY LETS YOU SEE THOSE DOCUMENTS IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH A PASSWORD. WE THINK IF THERE'S NOTHING TO HIDE SHE'LL AGREE TO AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION. STEPHANIE IS WITH ORGANIZE NOW WHICH REQUESTED THE COMPTROLLER AUDIT ANY AND ALL DROP BOXES USED BY COUNTY GOVERNMENT. SAYING THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW WHETHER PUBLIC RECORDS WERE WITHHELD FROM VIEW AND WHETHER DROP BOX WAS USED TO ALLOW LOBBYISTS OR OTHER NON-EMPLOYEES TO IMPROPERLY INFLUENCE DECISIONS. I'M CONCERNED THERE'S A SECOND SET OF BOOKS THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT ABLE TO SEE AND THERE MAY BE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. A SPOKESWOMAN FOR MAYOR JACOBS TELLS ME TEN MEMBERS OF HER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAS ACCESS TO THE DROP BOX, AND, QUOTE, WHENEVER THERE IS A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, ALL RECORD THAT'S PERTAIN TO THAT TOPIC -- DIGITAL, CLOUD AND HARD COPIES -- ARE SEARCHED. BUT THE COMPTROLLER DECIDED ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLATIONS OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW DO NOT FALL WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF MY COUNTY AUDIT DIVISION. SHE INSTEAD FORWARDED THE ALLEGATIONS OF POTENTIAL PUBLIC RECORDS LAW VIOLATIONS TO STOP ATTORNEY JEFF ASHTON. HIS OFFICE CONFIRMS IT'S REVIEWING THE CLAIM. THE FIRST AMENDMENT FOUNDATION SAYS NO PUBLIC OFFICIAL CAN USE FILE SHARING SYSTEMS TO TEMPORARILY KEEP RECORDS FROM PUBLIC VIEW. QUOTE E AT THE POINT IT IS VEE CREATEDED AND SHARED IT BECOMES A PUBLIC RECORD. SO IF THEY'RE PUTTING IT IN DROP BOX, IT IS A PUBLIC RECORD. WESH 2 NEWS HAS ASKED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO SHOW US THE CONTENT OF THE DROP BOX. SO FAR WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR

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