Rhode Island refuses to release hand-delivered Amazon pitch

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island economic development officials say the state’s bid to become home to Amazon’s second headquarters was hand-delivered by an employee who personally flew to Seattle.

The detail was included in a set of documents released by the Commerce Corp. in response to a records request by The Associated Press.

The Commerce Corp. chose not to release the application itself, and it declined to release any studies it used to determine the benefits of luring Amazon to Rhode Island. It said those documents were exempt from the state’s Access to Public Records Act.

But it did release invoices and contracts related to making and promoting the application. They showed that the agency spent $6,911 on the application, including legal fees, website work and travel to Seattle.