Over the last couple of years, Louisiana has increasingly relied on NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) during negotiations with investors of potential megaprojects, WWNO – New Orleans Public Radio reports.
David Cuillier, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, argues that requiring the state to seek protective orders against public records requests “turns public record laws on their head.” He says the NDA effectively “muzzles” government officials, gives a private corporation veto power over public statements and even attempts to conceal the existence of the agreement itself.
Steven Procopio of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana says NDAs can have a legitimate role in economic development negotiations but warns they should be the exception rather than the norm because excessive secrecy undermines public accountability.
The NDA with Meta is part of a broader pattern. A Gulf States Newsroom and Type Investigations investigation found that at least 121 employees in the governor’s office, from senior advisers and agency heads to interns and temporary staff, have signed sweeping confidentiality agreements since Landry took office.
Those agreements require employees to obtain the governor’s written permission before disclosing information learned on the job, allow the state to fire or sue employees for violations, and continue indefinitely even after workers leave state government.
