March 11, 2025.
Minnesotans for Open Government announced the winners of the John Finnegan Freedom of Information Award and the John Borger Lifetime Achievement Award.
The John Borger Lifetime Achievement Award: Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Randy Furst, who recently retired after a 52-year career. Furst has been a fierce defender of the First Amendment and government transparency. He has a long track record of using the state’s public records law to shine light on government wrong-doing. That includes two years’ worth of reporting that revealed a now defunct Metro Gang Strike Force was engaging in questionable or illegal activity. He has also been a champion for the First Amendment, leading numerous efforts to protect journalists.
The John Finnegan Freedom of Information Award: Ramsey County District Court Judge Patrick Diamond. Judge Diamond, who died unexpectedly in February, is being honored for a 2024 ruling that the City of Saint Paul had willfully and repeatedly violated the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) when responding to a citizen’s data request. “Judge Diamond’s insightful and comprehensive assessment of the City’s failure to comply with the letter and spirit of the MGDPA provides enormously valuable legal precedent that substantially contributes to open government in Minnesota.”
