Mayor Mike Huether finalist for national secrecy award

Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether is so good at keeping secrets, he may win a national award for it.

Huether’s years of secret-keeping have made him one of seven finalists for Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Golden Padlock Award, an annual celebration of “the most secretive government agency or individual in the United States,” according to an entry on the organization’s website.

Among the finalists are the city of Atlanta, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Huether did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For his part, Huether is noted for “going beyond even state law to shroud public business in secrecy.” The announcement mentions the Premier Center siding contract settlements, the nonexistent Falls Park safety audit, and his quote after he vetoed an ordinance to require the park board’s meetings be recorded and published on the city website: “Here’s the way (transparency) works: It protects you one minute. It stabs you in the back the next.”

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), a nonprofit organization aimed at improving the quality of investigative reporting, founded the Golden Padlock Award in 2013.

"The practice of secrecy within governments has been elevated into high art," Robert Cribb, chair of the Golden Padlock committee, said on their website. "This award brings well-deserved recognition to those who have distinguished themselves with ingenious creativity in denying the public's right to know."

The winner will be announced June 16 at IRE’s annual conference in Orlando. The full list of finalists can be found here.