Eugene Police Demand $2.5 Million From a Local News Outlet for Records on One Officer
Oregon Police Are Charging a Local News Outlet $2.5M for Records About One Cop
Double Sided Media asked for misconduct records on Eugene, Oregon, officer Justin Peckels, who was accused of punching a resident during a traffic stop. The city replied that the search would take at least 44,816 staff hours and cost $2,484,599.04, plus another $195,869.52 for a second officer's file. The Intercept's Lauren Harper argues the estimate is a deliberate gag order, not a real cost.
For small newsrooms, a $2.5 million invoice is effectively a gag order that was never actually about covering costs, but bullying the requester to drop their inquiry.