In closed executive sessions that some legal experts say violate Colorado's open meetings law, the Colorado Springs City Council has doled out about $5.4 million to settle a string of cases, including racial and gender discrimination. The council's closed-door process is so secretive that it remains unclear how long it's been going on, where much of the money comes from and how much has been spent. The city's attorneys settled at least seven such cases since 2013, and neither public votes nor official council records approving the payments could be found by The Gazette. The newspaper's review included a search of legal filings obtained from the city through a Colorado Open Records Act request. Read more on Colorado Springs Gazette