Office Depot Sues Florida Attorney General in Legal Bid to Keep Pricing Data Out of Public's Hands

We continue to see more of these lawsuits - private companies who need to insure that the government doesn't release information provided to the government pursuant to a government inquiry or investigation.

The South Florida Business Journal is reporting that Office Depot has sued the Florida Attorney General in response to the Naples Daily News requesting certain Office Depot documents be released pursuant to the freedom of information act or its state counterpart. Apparently the Florida Attorney General investigated Office Depot for certain pricing practices and this resulted in a settlement that generated $4.5 million in refunds to eligible customers. That investigation being complete, the Florida Attorney General still has lots of documents provided him by the company. And the Naples-based paper wants to see them. Office Depot's lawsuit should provide some cover for the Florida Attorney General in not providing the documents.

We'll see if the sitting judge agrees that "trade secret protection" is a ground on which the Florida Attorney General can adequately use so as not to have to produce the requested documents.