On May 16 and May 21, The Daily requested emails from multiple current and former OU officials via Open Records, including OU President David Boren, OU press secretary Corbin Wallace, former Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art director Emily Neff and OU Regent Max Weitzenhoffer for research into stories regarding Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm and La Bergére, a painting in the museum looted during the Nazi era.
The Daily was denied access to Neff's emails because she is no longer a university employee.
Furthermore, The Daily was denied access by the OU Open Records Office to emails from Weitzenhoffer because OU regents are considered volunteers, according to Wallace.
The office's response to The Daily's request on May 16 cited that OU regents are not employees, and because of this, records are not available for them.
The office's response to The Daily's request on May 21 said the university does not have an email account for Weitzenhoffer. However, when The Daily searched Weitzenhoffer's name on the OU website, his email address was displayed as an OU email.
Kristen Holmes, assistant to open records officer Michael Purcell, said the regents are considered volunteers and that they voluntarily donate their time towards the university, therefore their emails are confidential.
The Daily will continue to investigate why Open Records may deny access to emails from OU regents.
UPDATE (4:48 p.m.) — OU Open Records officer Michael Purcell responded to The Daily in an email later Wednesday, stating the office was unaware Weitzenhoffer had an University email address. Open Records is running a search of the account and will return any responsive records to The Daily's previous request, according to Purcell. The account is not actively maintained by Weitzenhoffer, according to Purcell.
