Cut the Crap: Secrecy, Corruption and the Case for Real Accountability
For too long our public institutions have been allowed to do two things at once: claim moral authority while operating in the dark. They preach protection and due process, then seal records, issue one-way gag orders, and cloak decisions behind sterile excuses. They call it “safeguarding,” and we are supposed to accept it. I say no more.
Secrecy without accountability is not protection — it is power corrupted. When courts, prosecutors, child-welfare agencies, and officials use sealed files, broad gag orders, and closed hearings as blunt instruments, they stop serving citizens and start serving themselves. The result is predictable: truth is buried, mistakes become cover-ups, and institutions designed to protect the vulnerable turn into shields for the powerful.
We’ve all seen the effects. Families torn apart by opaque rulings. Citizens who try to speak up and are met with threats of contempt. Journalists and watchdogs stonewalled while public trust evaporates. And when misconduct lives behind a seal, it metastasizes: misconduct becomes normalization, and the few who discover the pattern are left fighting a system built to exclude them.
What secrecy actually does
Secrecy creates gradients of privilege. For some, openness is enforced — they are named, shamed, and made public examples. For others, secrecy is a sanctuary. Orders that should be narrowly tailored and time-limited instead become catchall tools: block speech, prevent scrutiny, and lock evidence away. When only certain voices can speak, the public loses perspective, and power becomes insulated from consequence.
Courts have a legitimate role in protecting victims and minors. There are times when privacy is necessary. But legitimacy comes from balance: a clear public record that explains why secrecy is used, time limits that force re-evaluation, and independent review to stop abuse. Anything less is a tacit endorsement of secrecy as cover, not cure.
What we must demand now
- Narrow, written findings for every sealing order or gag. Judges must state on the record why secrecy is necessary, what harm it prevents, and how long the restriction lasts. Vague boilerplate is unacceptable.
- Automatic review and expiration dates. Every seal should come with an automatic sunset. If the court believes it must be extended, it must rehear the matter and justify renewal.
- Mandatory public reporting and audits. Courts and agencies that use sealing/gag orders must publish anonymized statistics: number issued, reasons, renewals, and in-camera reviews performed. Independent auditors should review a sample of sealed matters annually.
- Stronger whistleblower protections. Employees who expose abusive secrecy must be protected, not punished. Independent hotlines and enforcement mechanisms must exist so witnesses can report wrongdoing safely.
- Independent review boards. Create civilian review bodies empowered to audit sealed cases for abuses of power, and to refer misconduct to prosecutors when appropriate.
- Transparency-first policy with tailored redaction. When documents are subject to privacy concerns, redact specific sensitive information — don’t hide the whole file.
- Open access for legitimate journalism and counsel. Courts should make accommodations to allow verified journalists and attorneys access to sealed records under controlled conditions when the public interest outweighs secrecy.
How citizens can push this through
System change starts at the local level. Here’s what you can do today:
- Document and preserve — Save copies of any public records, posts, or filings that relate to problematic secrecy. Metadata matters.
- File targeted public records requests to county clerks and agencies — gather the audits and filings that are not sealed.
- Contact your elected officials — demand hearings and transparency legislation. This is a local fight as much as a national one.
- Tell journalists what you know — if you have evidence that secrecy is being abused, reach out to reporters who investigate government accountability.
- Support watchdog organizations that sue to unseal records and publish findings.
Final word
Secrecy shouldn’t be a repair manual for broken institutions — it should be an exception for genuine danger. We must stop allowing the language of “protection” to be used as a shield for incompetence, cover-ups, and self-preservation. The public has a right to a government that operates in daylight, not under lock and key.
If we want a society where justice is truly blind, then the people who write the rules must live under those rules — not behind them. The time for polite appeals has passed. Call it out. Document it. Demand the record. If our leaders will not cut the crap, then we must.
— Dean Allen Snow