The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth
Public Records Division
Rebecca S. Murray
Supervisor of Records

March 15, 2017
SPR17/271
Cathy M. Judd-Stein, Esq.
Deputy Chief Legal Counsel
Office of the Governor
State House, Room 271
Boston, MA 0213 3
Dear Attorney Judd-Stein:
I have received the petition of Laura Krantz appealing the response of the Office of the
Governor (Office) to a request for records. Specifically, Ms. Krantz requested "records showing
all constituent calls from the 12 months ending 1/30/17, including but not limited to the issue the
constituent called about." Ms. Krantz indicated that she was not seeking personal information
about the callers.
You denied this request stating "all documents responsive to your request have been
withheld consistent with the public records laws as interpreted by the Supreme Judicial Court."
Further, you reference a Supreme Judicial Court (Court) decision in which the Court held that the
records of the Judicial Nominating Council were not public records. Lambert v. Exec. Dir. of the
Judicial Nominating Council, 425 Mass. 406 (1997).
The Public Records Law defines "public records" as any record made or received by any
officer or employee of any executive office. G.L. c. 4, § 7(26). It is unclear from your February
22nd response to Ms. Krantz how the requested records relating to constituent calls is exempt
from disclosure under the language of the Public Records Law or related case-law. In our March
15th telephone conversation I requested additional information to clarify this assertion.
Accordingly, I will consider this appeal closed with the proviso that the Office provide
Ms. Krantz with the requested records or a response explaining with specificity how these
requested records are not subject to disclosure. A copy of any such response must be provided to
this office. It is preferable to send an electronic copy of this response to this office at
pre@sec.state.ma. us.

One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 • (617) 727-2832• Fax: (617) 727-5914
sec.state.ma.us/pre• pre@sec.state.ma.us

 Cathy M. Judd-Stein, Esq.
Page2
March 15, 2017

SPRl 7/271

Sincerely,

Rebecca S. Murray
Supervisor of Records
cc: Laura Krantz