A word of warning from the attorney for the successful complainant in Cincinnati's recent open meetings litigation, "You don't want to be the next 'Gang of 5."

The litigation — which we have discussed in previous posts — stems from illegal conduct that has reached near epidemic proportions: public officials conducting the public's business on personal devices and accounts instead of at public meetings.

In this case, five Cincinnati council members exchanged illegal texts and emails relating to public business and subsequently deleted the communications to destroy the trail of evidence.

Settlement of the litigation came at a cost to taxpayers of more than $100,000.

Kentucky's open record, records retention, and open meetings laws prohibit this conduct.

If only Kentucky's elected and appointed officials, indeed all public servants, would end this all too common practice before taxpayers are forced to shell out thousands of dollars in penalties and attorneys fees because they failed to heed this warning.