U.S. Chamber of Commerce - October 4, 2022

Request

Dear Ms. Lamontagne:

This is a request under the Maine Freedom of Access Act.

On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the “Chamber”), I write to request from the City of Biddeford (the “City”) copies of records sufficient to identify all agreements by the City, from 2002 to the present, to hire, retain, or engage private counsel to represent the City as a plaintiff in litigation on a contingency fee basis (i.e., where payment of legal fees is contingent upon the outcome of litigation).

This request is for records sufficient to identify any such agreement, whether or not a contingency-fee contract was ultimately executed by the City and whether or not litigation was initiated, and may be satisfied by producing copies of the contingency-fee contracts themselves (as executed or, if not executed, as proposed).

The Chamber requests the waiver of any fees associated with providing these documents. Disclosure is in the public interest as it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government. The Chamber is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, meaning it does not engage in a regular business of a kind ordinarily carried on for profit. Disclosure of the requested information is not primarily in the Chamber’s commercial interest because it seeks to use the information to educate itself, its members, and the public about the government’s activities.

If this request for a fee waiver is denied, the Chamber is willing to pay fees up to $250. If you estimate that the fees will exceed this limit, please inform me first.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please feel free to contact my assistant Leyla Myers (lmyers@huntonAK.com) or me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Trevor S. Cox

cc: Leyla Myers