Last month, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry hailed a federal court’s decision to release information contained in court records related to a lawsuit involving Louisiana abortion providers.

In a press release, he called efforts to keep records sealed “an abuse of this process.”

Less than two weeks later, the very same attorney general filed suit against a reporter for daring to request sexual harassment complaints filed against the head of the his office’s criminal division.

The lawsuit against reporter Andrea Gallo of The Advocate is based on months of efforts to get the complaints filed against Pat Magee and information on how the complaints were handled. Initially, the Dec. 14 request was denied because the reports were part of an ongoing investigation. In the interim, Landry’s office said the reports and other information would be released when the investigation was complete.

In mid January, Magee returned to work. Gallo learned disciplinary action had been taken against Magee — including a more than $20,000 one-time “salary reduction” and a requirement to attend conflict management and workplace professionalism courses.

But the records were still not forthcoming. After an attorney for The Advocate wrote a letter threatening legal action over the issue, Landry’s office did not respond.

At least, not until it filed suit — against Gallo, not the newspaper!

One thing that most people miss is that these are public records. They aren’t media records. They are open to the public.

They belong to you.

In his biography on the National Association of Attorneys General (note it is “Attorneys,” not “Generals” as Landry likes to refer to himself) website, Landry is described at one point as “a ferocious advocate of the Constitution.” In using his office to block the release of information that should be public record, he instead shows that his defense of constitutional rights stops at his office door.

Because these are (until legally declared otherwise) public records, The Daily Iberian is also filing a request for the documents. In fact, because they are your records too, you can file your own request on the Louisiana Attorney General’s website at www.ag.state.la.us. It takes 30 seconds to create an account.

Remember, this is not only about press freedoms. This is about your freedoms and your rights, as guaranteed under our state’s laws.

And, as the state’s lead attorney, Landry is bound to enforce those laws at all times — not only when it suits his political whims.