# Kentucky AG upholds Metro Council's limits on litigation records **Published:** 2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z **Source:** [KY Attorney General Open Records](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-313.pdf) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-ag-upholds-metro-council-s-limits-on-litigation-records The Kentucky Attorney General has upheld Louisville Metro Council's decision to withhold certain records related to a civil lawsuit, finding the council did not violate the state's Open Records Act, according to [a decision released July 15](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-313.pdf). Jeff Yocum, a [2026 mayoral candidate](https://www.lpm.org/news/2026-03-16/conservative-mayoral-candidate-says-hes-making-his-last-stand-for-louisville), sought records related to a lawsuit involving the council, requesting invoices, billing statements, time records, and payment information for attorney fees and legal services from the council, the Jefferson County Attorney's Office and any outside counsel. The council denied one portion of the request—15 internal emails discussing the decision to file or continue the lawsuit—citing attorney-client privilege under Kentucky law. The council withheld those communications, citing Kentucky Rule of Evidence 503, which protects confidential communications made for the purpose of rendering professional legal services. The Attorney General's office found the council's description of the withheld records "sufficient to establish that the records withheld under the privilege were confidential communications with attorneys in their capacity of rendering professional legal services to the Council," allowing the redaction to stand. For the remaining records Yocum requested, including invoices and billing statements, the council stated it was not the custodian of those documents. Instead, [the Jefferson County Attorney's Office](https://louisvilleky.gov/government/county-attorney/civil-division), which serves as legal counsel for Metro Louisville, holds them. The council provided the name and contact information for the records custodian, as required by state law. Yocum argued the council should have produced the documents because the council was the client in the civil action. However, the Attorney General determined that because another public agency actually possessed the records, the council satisfied its obligations by directing the requester to the correct custodian. The decision reflects ongoing tensions over [transparency at Metro Council](https://www.lpm.org/news/2022-06-16/metro-councils-fight-against-transparency-could-cost-louisville-taxpayers-2-million), which has faced multiple open records challenges in recent years. Yocum has 30 days to appeal the decision in Jefferson Circuit Court. ## Sources - [KY Attorney General Open Records](https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-313.pdf) - [Louisville Public Media: Jeff Yocum mayoral candidate profile](https://www.lpm.org/news/2026-03-16/conservative-mayoral-candidate-says-hes-making-his-last-stand-for-louisville) - [Louisville Metro government - Jefferson County Attorney's Office](https://louisvilleky.gov/government/county-attorney/civil-division) - [Louisville Public Media: Metro Council's fight against transparency](https://www.lpm.org/news/2022-06-16/metro-councils-fight-against-transparency-could-cost-louisville-taxpayers-2-million) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Attorney General Open Records, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2026/26-ORD-313.pdf.