Can the tapes be released by the government or is that also restricted?

This is clearly bad law. Not only is it unknowable and unenforceable, but it serves to reduce oversight if actually followed. Society is better off when we pay attention to how it runs and this type of law directly criminalizes that.

And it shows a basic misunderstanding of government, if it's paid for by your tax money it clearly involves you.

This is what the USA has over almost every other country - an acknowledgement that ultimately the people charter the government not the other way around.