Who audits the auditor? "Georgia Transparency's" Russell Pickron

elizabethprata

Jan 10

By Elizabeth Prata

The Rise of Citizen Auditors (or, Content Creators with an ax to grind...)

Social Media is accessible for viewing to one and all. Hallelujah! It also means any schlub with a GoPro, a Youtube channel, and an ax to grind can create content for anyone else on social media to consume.

And create they do.

I came across a Youtube channel called "Georgia Transparency". It is run by a man named Russell Pickron. There isn't any mention of the channel owner, his credentials, or his reasoning for bringing the channel into existence. Nothing on his channel or his linked webpage will tell you that. I had to dig around the web to find out his name. Not too transparent.

Pickron calls himself a "first amendment auditor." This is terminology that is unfamiliar to a lot of people, although self-styled "auditors" are getting popular, especially on Youtube and TikTok, so maybe you have heard about public auditing.

What are 'Auditors'?

An auditor isn't a financial auditor like the IRS agent who wants to look over your financial books. In this case an auditor is someone who tests the boundaries of certain public affairs. In the First Amendment world, auditors are trained laymen or journalists who approach a public entity like a school board office, law enforcement office, or government office, and request documents or information that should be available to the public. Because these are public employees, the public has a "right to know" (another 1st Amendment term).

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Open Records

A Freedom of Access, or Open Records audit, is a way to check for compliance on behalf of the public to determine that the public's right to know what government is doing is still intact. In many cases, sadly, the public is regularly denied information they have a right to ask for. Records that should be open, are closed. Many times the public is intimidated by the official simply for asking. Audits are important in order to keep government reminded that they serve the public and the public has a right to know how their tax money is being handled.

So, open records audits (or Surveys) began in various states. The process involves trained journalists or trained laymen approaching an agency and asking for certain documents. A public official's expense report, a public official's employment contract, for example. The surveyor is trained on what to say and how to ask, and the surveyor records if the clerk asked them their name, demanded any justification for asking for the records, and if the records were given then or later.

Cover page of the final report on Maine's FOIA laws, I was part of that process

In 2002 an Audit was completed in the State of Maine. This was back when I was a journalist running a weekly newspaper, and I was also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Maine Press Association, and the New England Newspaper Association. Maine did not fare too well. Many records were denied to the requestor. Worse, even those agencies that knew the audit was coming, still denied the requests.

To their credit, the Legislature established a study committee to overhaul existing FOIA law and to make recommendations as to how or where to strengthen them. I was appointed by the Senate of the State of Maine as one of the participants on that committee, for two terms.

Access to government documents and doings is important. Critical, even, for a functioning democracy to flourish. The pushme-pullyou between government officials and the public they serve is often fraught with tension, or misunderstanding, or confrontation at certain points. So it is as important to keep the ears as open as well the doors open. This goes both ways, on the citizen's part and on the official's part.

Russell Pickron of "Georgia Transparency": well-intentioned crusader, or ignorant disruptor?

And that is where we meet Mr Pickron of "Georgia Transparency." To my knowledge the man is not trained, is not a journalist, has little to no understanding of what is a public document and what isn't and what his rights and his responsibilities are as a citizen. Mr Pickron goes around various counties in Georgia filming and sometimes disrupting proceedings, in the name of "freedom of the press" and his "first amendment rights".

I came across his channel because a Facebook group of the next-door county was discussing a video he had posted, that someone had reposted into the group. The video didn't seem to have a point, and it confused and upset the locals, who discussed it vehemently.

Pickron served in the U.S. Army from 2006-2015 with tours of combat duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Shortly after he finished his service, he was hired by CCSO to work as a detention officer in the county jail. Pickron suffers from Post Traumatic stress disorder ("PTSD") from his extensive service in the army overseas for which he treats at the VA. Pickron had taken time off work as a detention officer and was attended by a doctor, and when Pickron returned to work, the doctor "recommended that Plaintiff, continue consistent psychiatric care and mental health treatment to address his ongoing issues."

[The above was gleaned from public court documents]

Pickron in the News

As far as First Amendment crusading, He has failed several times in his pursuit of ... whatever it is he is pursuing. In the article linked below, Pickron (a resident of Troup County) threatened to sue Coweta County because he was denied opportunity to speak at a Coweta County Board of Education meeting. However, he was politely told several times that only residents of that county, parents of students, or school employees of that county could speak. He was welcome to attend, but speaking to the Board was denied because he did not meet the requirements. He said he would sue.

Russell Clarence Pickron Jr., a self-proclaimed "First Amendment auditor" from LaGrange, sent a letter of intent to sue via email to board members and school system officials on Sunday night, alleging they violated his civil rights by denying his requests to speak at board meetings.
More here: Vlogger threatens to sue over BOE speaker rules

In another case, Pickron publicly slandered a public employee, claiming she mishandled money - but did not offer any proof. More here:

Councilman defends city manager in shouting match after Georgia Transparency asks three times why she's still employed
At least one LaGrange City Council member appears to be fed up with the actions of Russell Pickron, the owner of the Georgia Transparency social media pages. As is the chair of the Troup County Democratic Party. "This city has become a circus due to the unprofessional and incompetent quote reporting of Georgia Transparency. And it has got to stop," Littlefield said. (Kevin Littlefield is chair of the Troup County Democratic Party).

At one point Pickron was arrested and booked on misdemeanor Criminal Trespass, and at that time also a felony charge of 'Loitering near Inmates After Being Ordered to Desist' was lodged against him.

[The above was gleaned from public news reports]

Coweta County

As I mentioned, access to government doings and documents is important. The People may exercise their voice. If they should so desire, they may to monitor, inquire, seek information from the government that serves them. There is a WAY to go about acquiring public information. Disruptors like Pickron are a bull in a china shop, trampling and crushing all in their path. He and other content creators like him, actually set the public-government relationship back. Their antics make it LESS likely that government officials will be willing to engage with the public they serve. Stomping about, throwing out key phrases like 'freedom of access' without a real understanding of what he is trying to achieve, disrupts trust between the public and the officials and makes them less amenable. He defeats his own purpose. He also interrupts the real work that public employees are doing, which impacts the rest of the citizens out there Pickron claims to be aiding.

If you decide to seek information from any government agency, from council, school board, police, DFCS, or any other, please review your rights and responsibilities first. Not all information is public. Personnel records are not public, lawyer-client work product is not open record, and there are other exclusions too. Also, some counties have certain policies in addition to the First Amendment of the United States. Local ordinances and policies apply to your behavior, too. Links are below. Please be polite, have a purpose for engaging with the official, and then leave. You deserve the information you're seeking, and they deserve to go on about their work day productively.

Don't be a Russell Pickron.