Midwest Transparency Audit
Because government operates best in the light.
ENFORCING OPENNESS-DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY
Midwest Transparency Audit, LLC is an independent public records archive and local government watchdog.
We monitor, audit, and publish primary source documentation regarding public infrastructure procurement, municipal expenditure trails, and the expanding footprint of localized mass surveillance grids.
Under the mandates of Chapter 610, RSMo, we legally compel public bodies to produce unredacted* contracts, financial ledgers, and operational data sharing matrices. If it is funded by the taxpayer, it belongs to the public. We ensure it gets there.
THE MISSION
The mission of Midwest Transparency Audit LLC is to aggressively enforce government accountability through precision public records investigations. We specialize in uncovering municipal surveillance networks, tracking taxpayer-funded infrastructure, and demanding strict compliance with statutory Sunshine Laws to protect the civil liberties and privacy of citizens across Missouri.
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin
Resource guide for your public records request.
Comprehensive tools and guidelines designed to enforce openness, increase transparency, and drive accountability across Missouri.
Missouri Sunshine Law
How to & General Info
Sunshine Request Template
The core policy of the statute (§ 610.011) is that meetings, records, votes, actions, and deliberations of public governmental bodies must be open to the public unless a specific statute allows them to be closed. The law emphasizes that exceptions to openness must be "strictly interpreted" to promote transparency. The focus is sections 610.010-610.035.
Under the Missouri Sunshine Law, public records are presumed open to the public unless a specific statutory exemption applies. The law provides a clear framework for how requests must be handled, strictly regulating timelines and allowable costs. Click the link to see a breakdown of the rules and timelines for public records requests in Missouri, as well as how to request records.
A standard form you can submit to the Custodian of Records. Every public governmental body is required to designate a "Custodian of Records" responsible for receiving and responding to these requests. The body must make this person's contact information available to the public. BE SURE TO ENTER ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION IN THE PROVIDED SPACES!
Federal Records Portal
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a landmark law that grants the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency, serving as a critical tool for government transparency and accountability. Enacted in 1966, FOIA operates on the foundational principle that citizens have a right to know how their government operates, making federal executive branch records presumptively open to public inspection unless they fall under specific exemptions, such as national security or personal privacy. It is important to note that FOIA applies exclusively to the executive branch of the federal government—including departments, agencies, and offices—meaning it does not cover Congress, the federal judiciary, or state and local governments, which are governed by their own distinct open records laws. Sunshine Law is for state, county and local records. FOIA is for federal records.