Court rules against cassilly administration for violating public information act
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Court rules against Cassilly administration for violating public information act

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1 min read
December 6, 2025

Bel Air, MD – A Maryland court has ruled that the Cassilly Administration has violated the Public Information Act for the third time. The ruling orders the release of text messages from County Executive Bob Cassilly to County Council President Patrick Vincenti during a public meeting.

On November 17, Circuit Court Judge W. Michel Pierson upheld an earlier order from the Public Information Act Compliance Board. The messages were sent on April 16 before the Council voted on a $1,000,000 settlement related to a deputy-involved shooting.

Judge Pierson rejected the Cassilly Administration’s claim of executive privilege and emphasized that the text messages are public records. The court’s findings included dissatisfaction with the administration’s failure to provide the messages for review.

Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, who initiated the original request, expressed concern over repeated violations and called for transparency. He criticized the administration for wasting taxpayer dollars in a legal battle to withhold public records.

Despite the court order, the Cassilly Administration has yet to release the text messages over 19 months later. This ongoing refusal raises questions about the administration’s accountability and transparency regarding public spending.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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