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The City of Youngsville says no transcript exists from a civil service hearing involving Officer John Davison.
There’s just one problem. Public records obtained by Citizens for a New Louisiana show taxpayers paid $1,587 for transcription services related to that hearing. In this video, Michael Lunsford explains how a routine public records request uncovered an unexpected contradiction, why the transcript matters, and what we’re doing next to get answers.
This is a behind-the-scenes look at how public records investigations actually work—and why transparency often requires much more persistence than most people realize.
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Behind Every Blade of Grass
There’s a running joke around our office that Citizens for a New Louisiana is hiding behind every blade of grass. We’ve heard stories about government officials reconsidering questionable decisions because they were worried we’d find out. That’s a remarkable return on an investment we never made: "reaping where we did not sow, and gathering where we scattered no seed." But there’s something important in here, too.
Our little flashlight has earned us a reputation for bringing things to light. Now many officials act as if someone is watching, even when there isn't. That’s the real value of our government transparency work. It's more than just exposing wrongdoing after the fact. We've created an environment where public officials think twice.
Of course, we can’t actually be behind every blade of grass. There are thousands of public meetings, countless government transactions, and more questionable decisions than our small team could ever hope to investigate. But with your help, we can keep them wondering.
If you believe government works better when someone is paying attention, please consider supporting our work.
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