In the definition for “public body,” what is meant by “supported wholly or principally by public funds”?
FOIA is a mechanism for citizens to monitor their own government. Private companies are not subject to FOIA. The act’s use of the phrase “supported wholly or principally by public funds” is an attempt to draw a distinction between those bodies that are truly governmental in nature, and those, such as government contractors, who deal with government, but who do not spend public money in the exercise of government power. The Freedom of Information Advisory Council has said that, as a general guideline, an entity must receive at least two-thirds (66%) of its funding from public resources to be considered a “public body,” though a definitive answer covering “borderline” cases would have to come from the courts.