Tyranny wraps itself in secrecy to protect tyrants, great and petty, in small towns and in national capitols. Tyrants excuse their secrets. They always say doing so protects the public interest. Often, though, they serve their own interests – friends given key federal positions without demonstrating the experience necessary to do the work, state officials using self-erasing emails, tax-supported housing given free to Clay County’s connected administrators, political vendettas carried out against perceived opponents, raises granted like gumdrops to officeholders at public expense and employees terrorized to prevent them from blowing the whistle on evil. Government secrecy commits violence against democracy at all levels. Granted, keeping secrets from the public may be done for the best of reasons, such as protecting national security or keeping financial data from hackers. These secrets, grudgingly, are acceptable when rules are followed to prevent abuse. But some officials keep…