Newspaper challenges denial of payroll records

The Times Union requested payroll information subject to New York's Freedom of Information Law; however, the state argues that the requested data cannot be released without creating a new file that does not contain birth dates, social security numbers, phone numbers and addresses.

The Times Union sued state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Wednesday, challenging his refusal to release state payroll data under a public information request.

Attorneys for Hearst Corp., the newspaper's parent company, filed the suit in state Supreme Court in Albany, requesting the data, as well as costs and attorney fees.

In court papers, the newspaper questioned the comptroller's refusal to release payroll information sought earlier this year by J. Robert Port, the Times Union's senior editor for investigations. Port filed a request under the state's Freedom of Information Law, seeking an electronic copy of payroll tables.

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