A dispute over public records has turned into a victory for Oklahoma farmer Darren Blanchard, who was arrested after objecting to a planned data center.
In a setback for Claremore, the state's attorney general said the city cannot collect more than $17,000 for records related to that arrest, a ruling that could have implications beyond a single fraught council session.
Here's what to know
At a Claremore City Council meeting in February, Blanchard showed up to oppose Project Mustang, a proposed 225-acre data center in the Oklahoma city.
City officials had him arrested after he spoke roughly 30 seconds longer than the three minutes he had been given. He was later charged with trespassing, a municipal offense punishable by a $200 fine. As 404 Media reported, Blanchard pleaded not guilty and sought records he says could bolster a free speech defense.
The request covered police body-camera video of the arrest and city records about earlier disruptions at public meetings. Claremore responded that producing those materials for Blanchard and his lawyers would cost $17,125.44.
One of his attorneys, Katie Griffin, asked the Oklahoma attorney general's office to review that charge. The city defended the fee by saying staff would have to examine and possibly redact thousands of records plus more than 10 hours of body-camera footage.
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Assistant Attorney General Anthony Sykes disagreed, writing that state law permits charges only for the direct expense of searching for and copying records and noting that Claremore had never properly posted the required fee schedule.
More background
According to the city, $16,540.44 of the total reflected legal review of about 2,800 records tied to Blanchard's arrest and to Claremore's interactions with security contractors and Rogers State University, where the meeting took place. Claremore also added $585 for 15 hours spent searching.
Sykes concluded that the explanation was inconsistent with the Open Records Act.
"The City has not posted a schedule of fees as required by the Open Records Act. Having failed to give the requisite notice of the fees charged for public access to City records, the City is foreclosed from charging search fees," he wrote, according to 404.
He further cast doubt on whether 15 hours of employee time amounted to the kind of "excessive disruption" that would permit search fees. Claremore did not return 404 Media's request for comment.
What's being done?
The attorney general's office told Claremore to abandon the charge and release the records Blanchard requested.
Sykes separately rejected the city's attempt to slow-walk disclosure of the meeting's body-camera video. Claremore had maintained that the crowded room necessitated that attorneys scrutinize the footage for privacy concerns.
In Sykes's view, the fact that the recording came from a public gathering weakened that position.
As Sykes put it: "The footage sought here is of a public meeting attended by scores of people. No one in attendance had any reasonable expectation of privacy, and the City has not identified any provision of state or federal law that justifies redaction of any portion of the footage ... the City should be able to provide access promptly."
Where can I learn more?
Blanchard's fight with Claremore is part of a bigger pattern of rural communities and landowners going up against powerful institutions over land, pollution, and public accountability. Across Oklahoma and nearby states, similar disputes have quickly escalated into expensive legal battles with consequences far beyond a single town.
• In Oklahoma, a 21-year poultry pollution case ended with a nearly $44 million settlement.
• In Georgia, officials seized 225 acres from a farmer for a corporate jet airport.
• In Missouri, farmers and advocates threatened a lawsuit against the state over farm sludge spreading.
Each case starts locally, but the fallout doesn't stay in one council chamber or courtroom for long. Read alongside Blanchard's case, they show how legal pressure can shape what communities can challenge.
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