President Obama issued an executive order yesterday limiting the ability of former presidents to keep certain records private. Under the order, former presidents, former vice presidents, and relatives of former presidents will have less control over the release of their records. The president and the National Archives will have ultimate control over release decisions. (Associated Press)
Another executive order drafted by President Obama, expected to be issued today, would close the Guantanamo Bay facility within a year. He is also expected to ban abusive interrogation practices and order a review of detention policies for captured militants. (Reuters)
A former employee of Florida’s Department of Children and Families pleaded guilty to one charge of producing child pornography after he was caught taking nude photos of two teenage boys, one of whom was identified as a foster child of the agency. The crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years. (Associated Press)
Two women have reached a settlement with the Attorney General’s office of Ohio over sexual harassment complaints. The women allege that an aide to former AG Marc Dann had harassed them; the aide was fired and the complaints lead to the eventual resignation of Dann in May of 2008 after it came to light that he had had an extramarital affair with a third employee. The women will each receive $247,500. (Associated Press)
The Attorney General of Oregon has announced that he will investigate the 2007 relationship between Portland mayor Sam Adams, who was then a member of the city council, and a then-18-year-old boy who was working as a legislative intern at City Hall. The investigation was requested by the district attorney for Multnomah County and the Portland police chief. Portland is the largest American city to have an openly gay mayor. (Associated Press)
