CORRIDOR CHRONICLE
FOIA request denied
by Ron Gregory
ronjgregory@gmail.com
LOGAN – A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed August 24 by Stollings resident Christopher Stratton seeks non-government associated records and cannot be complied with, according to the Logan County Commission.
“We are open and ready to provide public documents,” said Commission President Danny Godby. “However, he is requesting information we would not have because it is mostly personal matters – not government.”
Godby said the county attorney had reviewed the FOIA request and “discussed it with the staff.”
Among the information requested is “any and all records relating in any way whatsoever to the building located at 109 Stratton Street, including, but not limited to, correspondence to and from the Goodwin Estate, records of building inspections, photographs of the building or any and all other paperwork generated by, received by or held by ‘code enforcement officer’ Albert Ray Perry.”
Godby said the review led commission staff to the conclusion “that this is asking for personal information and it is likely information we don’t even have to begin with.”
Stratton has made Code Enforcement Officer Ray Perry the target of his “investigative reporting” for several months. He routinely reports on Perry’s activities and claims Perry is inefficient and does not work as he claims.
Although Stratton does not say he works for any media outlet, he often refers to his “investigative reporting” on social media. He was at one time employed by The Logan Banner. He has labeled himself on Facebook as a close political confidante and communications director for State Senator Richard Ojeda of Logan who is running for congress in 2018.
Stratton recently listed his home address as the location of a business called WV Political & Media Consultants, Inc. It was registered with the West Virginia Secretary of State on August 4. Incorporators are listed as Jeremy Adams of Harts and Zachary Donahue who is shown at the same address as the business in Stollings.
Previously, Stratton was listed as the incorporator of a group called Logan High School Band Boosters, Inc., but its registration was revoked in November 2010 due to failure to file an annual report.