Press Release  AG Healey Appoints New Director of Division of Open Government

Boston — Attorney General Maura Healey today announced Carrie Benedon has been appointed Director of the AG’s Division of Open Government.  

“The Division of Open Government helps educate the public and public bodies about government transparency and ensures that government at all levels in Massachusetts is open and accountable,” AG Healey said. “Carrie is a skilled attorney who has long been a strong advocate for open government, and we are delighted she will be leading our efforts to promote transparency and good governance.”  

Benedon has been an Assistant Attorney General with the AG’s Administrative Law Division since 2012, where her practice included public records and open meeting law matters, as well as administrative and regulatory law and major institutional reform litigation on behalf of the Commonwealth. She has served as the AG’s designee on the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law Advisory Commission since 2016, and most recently as Chair.

Prior to joining the AG’s Office in 2012, Benedon was an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office, where, in addition to a robust litigation practice, she authored opinion letters on public records matters, staffed the public records and open meeting law hotline, and served as the Wisconsin AG’s designee to the Wisconsin Public Records Board. Prior to that, she worked in private practice where she represented dozens of municipalities and public school districts in all matters of public sector law. Benedon was a fellow in the Boston Bar Association’s Public Interest Leadership Program and is an elected Town Meeting Member in Brookline. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

The Division of Open Government was created to help serve the critical function of promoting openness and transparency in government, and provides training and outreach to ensure that members of public bodies and of the public understand their rights and responsibilities under the law. The Division responds to inquiries, investigates complaints, issues determinations, and, when necessary, brings enforcement action to address violations of the law. In 2017, the Division resolved 240 Open Meeting Law complaints and responded to more than 1,800 inquiries through the AG’s Open Meeting Law hotline. The Division’s efforts are public and transparent, with determinations posted promptly to a searchable database, and trainings, events, relevant documents, guidance, and information frequently posted to the AG’s website. Also in 2017, the Division trained more than 1,100 people on the Open Meeting Law through 12 regional in-person trainings, 11 webinars, and 15 other training events, and began a monthly newsletter to keep the public informed about open government news. 

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