Software tester honored by FOIFT with 2008 James Madison Award for challenging Texas Gov. on e-mail | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Wisconsin man to receive FOI award

Software tester challenged Perry's policy of deleting e-mails in 7 days

Associated Press

Oct. 17, 2008, 11:19PM

 
 

DALLAS — The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is presenting its 2008 James Madison Award to John Washburn, a software tester and citizen activist from Wisconsin who challenged the Texas governor's policy of deleting e-mails after only seven days.

The foundation will present the award during the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon at its Oct. 24 conference in Austin.

The James Madison Award was created to honor those whose appreciation and respect for the First Amendment and open government have been demonstrated by exemplary actions, words or deeds.

Last year, Washburn began requesting e-mail records from Texas Gov. Rick Perry's office twice a week as a way to thwart the destruction of those public records.

Washburn also has offered advice to participants of the first annual Blogger Sunshine Project, which resulted in the first survey of e-mail retention policies of governors' offices in several states.

Washburn became interested in election procedures and open government in 1992 when a friend asked for his help in researching the book, Votescam: The Stealing of America, because of Washburn's extensive experience in software quality and test tracking.

The book alleged persistent election fraud perpetrated in the Florida counties of Broward, Dade and Miami between 1970 and 1989, particularly with punch cards. His friend asked Washburn to determine if any frauds alleged in VoteScam were possible in Wisconsin.

Washburn's interest in election integrity was renewed when several municipalities in southeast Wisconsin experienced irregularities during the November 2004 election. He filed a number of open records requests in his attempts to audit that election and elections in 2005 and 2006.

Washburn successfully sued for the release of Milwaukee election records for the November 2004 election.

 
 

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