Shawn A. Williams, who was tasked with policing transparency as the state’s supervisor of public records, has left his position, marking an otherwise abrupt change just days before a new public records law is slated to go into effect.
Rebecca Murray, an attorney in the Secretary of State’s elections division, took over as the public records supervisor effective yesterday, according to Galvin’s office.
Brian McNiff, a Galvin spokesman, said he didn’t know why Williams left, only that he was taking another job outside of the office.
Efforts to reach Williams were not immediately successful.
Williams was responsible for enforcing the state’s public records law, which often meant fielding hundreds of appeals each year from the media and members of the public unsatisfied with responses from public agencies.
His departure is notable given the timing. The state’s public records law is slated to undergo an array of significant changes on Jan. 1, thanks to a bill passed this year that adjusts the time public officials have to respond to requests, the amount they can charge and the time the Secretary of State’s office has to rule on a matter.
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