Latest news with #governmenttransparency
CNN
20 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Half of Americans dissatisfied with how much Epstein info government has released, CNN poll finds
Half of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the amount of information the federal government has released about the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS in the days after the Justice Department released a memo saying there is no evidence the convicted sex offender kept a so-called client list or was murdered. Almost no one is content with the amount the government has shared: Just 3% of Americans say they are satisfied with it. A sizable chunk of the public either says it doesn't matter to them either way (29%) or that they haven't heard enough about the case to say (17%). Trump's most ardent supporters online have been in revolt since the Justice Department memo's release, even as the president has implored them to move on from Epstein and publicly backed Attorney General Pam Bondi. The poll shows Republicans at large are less likely to say they are dissatisfied with the information shared than Democrats or independents. Overall, 56% of Democrats and 52% of independents say they are dissatisfied. Among Republicans, 40% are dissatisfied. Nearly as many Republicans say it doesn't matter to them either way (38%), a larger group than the roughly one-quarter who felt that way among Democrats (27%) or independents (26%). That follows a pattern going back to Trump's first term: Polling has often found large shares of Republicans saying they don't know or don't care about a particular issue when a Trump position has proved broadly unpopular. Epstein was a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender whose criminal case has long captured significant public attention in part because of his ties to wealthy and high-profile people. In August 2019, while he was awaiting trial in a federal criminal case, Epstein was found unresponsive in his New York City jail cell. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a suicide. The death was heavily scrutinized, and during his 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on the case. Many of the president's supporters hoped that release would implicate other high-profile figures or undercut the notion that Epstein killed himself. But FBI Director Kash Patel, who suggested before taking office that there was hidden evidence, has since said Epstein committed suicide. And Bondi denied the existence of an Epstein 'client list' despite answering a question in an earlier interview about whether a list would be released by saying it was on her desk to review. Men express deeper dissatisfaction with the information released than women (55% vs. 45%). Younger Americans are more likely to be dissatisfied than are older people (56% younger than 35 say they are dissatisfied vs. 47% among those age 35 or older). There are divides within both parties that suggest dissatisfaction with what's been released on Epstein links the far ideological ends on each side. Very conservative Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are far more likely to be dissatisfied than are those who consider themselves somewhat conservative (48% vs. 40%). At the same time, Democratic-aligned liberals are also more likely than moderates or conservatives who at least lean toward the party to express dissatisfaction (70% vs. 52%). And in both parties, independents who lean toward either party are more dissatisfied than are self-identified partisans: 68% of Democratic-leaning independents are dissatisfied and 53% of Republican-leaning independents are dissatisfied. In both cases, dissatisfaction among independents leaning toward a party outpaces dissatisfaction among self-identified partisans by double digits. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from July 10-13 among a random national sample of 1,057 US adults drawn from a probability-based panel. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among all adults have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points.
CNN
20 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Half of Americans dissatisfied with how much Epstein info government has released, CNN poll finds
Half of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the amount of information the federal government has released about the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS in the days after the Justice Department released a memo saying there is no evidence the convicted sex offender kept a so-called client list or was murdered. Almost no one is content with the amount the government has shared: Just 3% of Americans say they are satisfied with it. A sizable chunk of the public either says it doesn't matter to them either way (29%) or that they haven't heard enough about the case to say (17%). Trump's most ardent supporters online have been in revolt since the Justice Department memo's release, even as the president has implored them to move on from Epstein and publicly backed Attorney General Pam Bondi. The poll shows Republicans at large are less likely to say they are dissatisfied with the information shared than Democrats or independents. Overall, 56% of Democrats and 52% of independents say they are dissatisfied. Among Republicans, 40% are dissatisfied. Nearly as many Republicans say it doesn't matter to them either way (38%), a larger group than the roughly one-quarter who felt that way among Democrats (27%) or independents (26%). That follows a pattern going back to Trump's first term: Polling has often found large shares of Republicans saying they don't know or don't care about a particular issue when a Trump position has proved broadly unpopular. Epstein was a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender whose criminal case has long captured significant public attention in part because of his ties to wealthy and high-profile people. In August 2019, while he was awaiting trial in a federal criminal case, Epstein was found unresponsive in his New York City jail cell. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death was ruled a suicide. The death was heavily scrutinized, and during his 2024 campaign, Trump said he would consider releasing additional government files on the case. Many of the president's supporters hoped that release would implicate other high-profile figures or undercut the notion that Epstein killed himself. But FBI Director Kash Patel, who suggested before taking office that there was hidden evidence, has since said Epstein committed suicide. And Bondi denied the existence of an Epstein 'client list' despite answering a question in an earlier interview about whether a list would be released by saying it was on her desk to review. Men express deeper dissatisfaction with the information released than women (55% vs. 45%). Younger Americans are more likely to be dissatisfied than are older people (56% younger than 35 say they are dissatisfied vs. 47% among those age 35 or older). There are divides within both parties that suggest dissatisfaction with what's been released on Epstein links the far ideological ends on each side. Very conservative Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are far more likely to be dissatisfied than are those who consider themselves somewhat conservative (48% vs. 40%). At the same time, Democratic-aligned liberals are also more likely than moderates or conservatives who at least lean toward the party to express dissatisfaction (70% vs. 52%). And in both parties, independents who lean toward either party are more dissatisfied than are self-identified partisans: 68% of Democratic-leaning independents are dissatisfied and 53% of Republican-leaning independents are dissatisfied. In both cases, dissatisfaction among independents leaning toward a party outpaces dissatisfaction among self-identified partisans by double digits. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from July 10-13 among a random national sample of 1,057 US adults drawn from a probability-based panel. Surveys were either conducted online or by telephone with a live interviewer. Results among all adults have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Won't Hand Over His Emails With Elon Musk
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) says he shouldn't have to turn over emails between himself and billionaire Elon Musk in response to a journalist's public records request, arguing they include 'information that is intimate and embarrassing and not of legitimate concern to the public.' The Texas Newsroom, as part of an initiative with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, said it sought out the emails between Abbott and Musk to see what kind of influence Musk had in Texas. During this year's legislative session, Musk's lobbyists advocated for nearly a dozen bills that would benefit his companies, and along with that, Abbott also cited Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency as a reason for Texas to launch its own efficiency department. In April, The Texas Newsroom requested emails between Abbott and Musk and others who have emails associated with Musk's companies dating back to the fall. The governor's office said it would take 13 hours to review the emails with a cost of $244.64 to be paid before the work was done. The Texas Newsroom staff said it wrote the check, but after it was cashed, Abbott's office responded that the emails were actually confidential and asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to keep them private. Paxton has yet to make a decision, and his office didn't immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. Matthew Taylor, Abbott's public information coordinator, argued in a letter that the emails should not be released because they included discussion of what Texas offers businesses to encourage them to invest in the state, 'privileged attorney-client communications,' and policy-making processes. Taylor also cited common-law privacy, a legal standard that protects information that a typical person would find 'highly objectionable' to publish and is not of public concern. 'The [Office of the Governor] asserts the information ... is intimate and embarrassing and not of legitimate concern to the public, including financial decisions that do not relate to transactions between an individual and a government body,' he wrote. In a comment to HuffPost, Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott's press secretary, said The Texas Newsroom's focus on the 'intimate and embarrassing' language in the letter is 'purposefully misleading.' 'The reporter knows full well that the language used comes from a Supreme Court of Texas opinion half a century old — with over 10,000 Office of Attorney General opinions applying those same common law privacy protections,' Mahaleris said. 'Texans and Texas businesses who disclose confidential and privileged information to state government should feel confident that their information will be protected.' The Texas Public Information Act Handbook of 2024 lists some examples of other things to be kept confidential, including medical records or records in an investigation of alleged child abuse or neglect. Gov. Greg Abbott Rants About Football, 'Losers' When Asked Who To Blame For Texas Floods Texas News Anchor Rips Kristi Noem And Greg Abbott Over Flood Press Conference Texas Lt. Governor Blows Up At Gov. Greg Abbott Over THC Ban Veto
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Won't Hand Over His Emails With Elon Musk
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) says he shouldn't have to turn over emails between himself and billionaire Elon Musk in response to a journalist's public records request, arguing they include 'information that is intimate and embarrassing and not of legitimate concern to the public.' The Texas Newsroom, as part of an initiative with ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, said it sought out the emails between Abbott and Musk to see what kind of influence Musk had in Texas. During this year's legislative session, Musk's lobbyists advocated for nearly a dozen bills that would benefit his companies, and along with that, Abbott also cited Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency as a reason for Texas to launch its own efficiency department. In April, The Texas Newsroom requested emails between Abbott and Musk and others who have emails associated with Musk's companies dating back to the fall. The governor's office said it would take 13 hours to review the emails with a cost of $244.64 to be paid before the work was done. The Texas Newsroom staff said it wrote the check, but after it was cashed, Abbott's office responded that the emails were actually confidential and asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to keep them private. Paxton has yet to make a decision, and his office didn't immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. Matthew Taylor, Abbott's public information coordinator, argued in a letter that the emails should not be released because they included discussion of what Texas offers businesses to encourage them to invest in the state, 'privileged attorney-client communications,' and policy-making processes. Taylor also cited common-law privacy, a legal standard that protects information that a typical person would find 'highly objectionable' to publish and is not of public concern. 'The [Office of the Governor] asserts the information ... is intimate and embarrassing and not of legitimate concern to the public, including financial decisions that do not relate to transactions between an individual and a government body,' he wrote. In a comment to HuffPost, Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott's press secretary, said The Texas Newsroom's focus on the 'intimate and embarrassing' language in the letter is 'purposefully misleading.' 'The reporter knows full well that the language used comes from a Supreme Court of Texas opinion half a century old — with over 10,000 Office of Attorney General opinions applying those same common law privacy protections,' Mahaleris said. 'Texans and Texas businesses who disclose confidential and privileged information to state government should feel confident that their information will be protected.' The Texas Public Information Act Handbook of 2024 lists some examples of other things to be kept confidential, including medical records or records in an investigation of alleged child abuse or neglect. Gov. Greg Abbott Rants About Football, 'Losers' When Asked Who To Blame For Texas Floods Texas News Anchor Rips Kristi Noem And Greg Abbott Over Flood Press Conference Texas Lt. Governor Blows Up At Gov. Greg Abbott Over THC Ban Veto
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Texas Governor Says ‘Intimate and Embarrassing' Emails With Elon Musk Must Remain Secret
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't want to reveal months of communications with Elon Musk or representatives from the tech mogul's companies, arguing in part that they are of a private nature, not of public interest and potentially embarrassing. Musk had an eventful legislative session in Texas this year. In addition to his lobbyists successfully advocating for several new laws, Abbott cited the Tesla and SpaceX CEO as the inspiration for the state creating its own efficiency office and has praised him for moving the headquarters for many of his businesses to the state in recent years. As part of an effort to track the billionaire's influence in the state Capitol, The Texas Newsroom in April requested Abbott and his staff's emails since last fall with Musk and other people who have an email address associated with some of his companies. Initially, the governor's office said it would take more than 13 hours to review the records. It provided a cost estimate of $244.64 for the work and required full payment up front. The Texas Newsroom agreed and cut a check. After the check was cashed, the governor's office told The Texas Newsroom it believed all of the records were confidential and asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office referees disputes over public records, to allow the documents to be kept private. Matthew Taylor, Abbott's public information coordinator, gave several reasons the records should not be released. He argued they include private exchanges with lawyers, details about policy-making decisions and information that would reveal how the state entices companies to invest here. Releasing them to the public, he wrote, 'would have a chilling effect on the frank and open discussion necessary for the decision-making process.' Taylor also argued that the communications are confidential under an exception to public records laws known as 'common-law privacy' because they consist of 'information that is intimate and embarrassing and not of legitimate concern to the public, including financial decisions that do not relate to transactions between an individual and a governmental body.' He did not provide further details about the exact content of the records. The language Abbott's office used appears to be fairly boilerplate. Paxton's office, in an explanation of the common-law privacy exception on its website, mentions that 'personal financial information' that doesn't deal with government transactions 'is generally highly intimate or embarrassing and must be withheld.' But Bill Aleshire, a Texas-based attorney specializing in public records law, was appalled that the governor is claiming that months of emails between his office and one of the world's richest people are all private. 'Right now, it appears they've charged you $244 for records they have no intention of giving you,' Aleshire said. 'That is shocking.' Aleshire said it's not unusual for government agencies to tap the common-law privacy exception in an attempt to withhold records from the public. But he's used to it being cited in cases that involve children, medical data or other highly personal information — not for emails between an elected official and a businessman. 'You're boxing in the dark,' Aleshire said. 'You can't even see what the target is or what's behind their claim.' Aleshire added that due to a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling, there is effectively no way to enforce public records laws against Abbott and other top state officials. He called the decision an 'ace card' for these politicians. The case dealt with requests to release Abbott and Paxton's communications in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde. The high court ruled that it is the only body that can review whether these officials are in compliance with public records laws. Kevin Bagnall, a lawyer representing Musk's rocket company SpaceX, also wrote a letter to Paxton's office arguing the emails should be kept secret. He cited one main reason: They contain 'commercial information whose disclosure would cause SpaceX substantial competitive harm.' Most of the rest of Bagnall's letter, which further explained SpaceX's argument, was redacted. Musk and representatives for his companies did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Abbott's spokesperson did not respond to specific questions about the records, including whether The Texas Newsroom would be refunded if Paxton withholds them. In a statement, he said, 'The Office of the Governor rigorously complies with the Texas Public Information Act and will release any responsive information that is determined to not be confidential or excepted from disclosure.' The office of the attorney general has 45 business days to determine whether to release Abbott's records. Lauren McGaughy is a journalist with The Texas Newsroom, a collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in Texas. She is based at KUT in Austin. Reach her at [email protected]. Sign up for KUT newsletters.
