FOIA Request to Queens County regarding contingency fee agreements on December 1, 2025.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Queens County by Empire State Today, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on December 1, 2025, seeks access to records under the New York Freedom of Information Law. Specifically, the request asks for all contingency fee agreements with external attorneys or law firms that were in effect at any time during the last 12 months.
Empire State Today has expressed its intention to receive these records in electronic format. As part of their professional duties in gathering and reporting news to the public, they have requested a fee waiver citing their role as a media entity. This waiver is justified by their need to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
