In the Court of Appeal of the State of California, a case was filed on April 5, 2024, with the court case ID B330847. The parties involved are the State of California and Energy and Policy Institute. The lawsuit revolves around whether the "deliberative process privilege" prevents disclosure under the California Public Records Act (PRA) of entries in the calendars of the Governor's former senior advisor for energy.
The case was brought forward by petitioners represented by Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Thomas S. Patterson, Assistant Attorney General, Michelle M. Mitchell, Laura Randles-Little and Andrew D. Day, Deputy Attorneys General. The defendants were represented by Kelly A. Aviles from Law Offices of Kelly A. Aviles. The lawsuit centers around meetings with 10 specified entities including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), electric utilities, and unions representing energy workers during the year prior to that senior advisor’s appointment to the presidency of the CPUC.
The plaintiff is seeking for judgment and damages due to non-disclosure of these calendar entries which they argue are crucial for public interest. They believe that revealing these meetings would not undermine government decision-making or discourage future meetings between government officials and similar energy stakeholders.