Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan on July 22 appointed a bipartisan duo of lawyers to take over a lawsuit that seeks to compel Gov. Matt Blunt to turn over e-mails being sought by investigators looking into whether the governor and top administration officials violated Missouri’s open records law. Callahan appointed Joe Maxwell and Louis Leonatti, both of Mexico, Mo., as “special assistant attorneys general” after earlier ruling that a team of independent investigators picked by Attorney General Jay Nixon to look into the matter had no legal standing to demand the records.
Maxwell, a Democrat, is a former lieutenant governor and state lawmaker. Leonatti, a Republican, was nominated for the federal bench by President George Bush in 1992 but never confirmed for the post by the U.S. Senate. Callahan gave Maxwell and Leonatti until Aug. 26 to decide whether to continue pursuing the lawsuit.
Showing posts with label emails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emails. Show all posts
Friday, August 1, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
BLUNT OR AIDES ALLEGEDLY SOUGHT TO DESTROY RECORDS
An independent investigator filed a lawsuit on May 5 alleging that Gov. Matt Blunt or top officials in his administration ordered the destruction of backup tapes containing potentially damaging e-mails sent by members of his staff. The destruction was thwarted when two information technology supervisors with the Office of Administration refused to comply because the e-mails were subject to pending open records requests by various media outlets, according to the lawsuit.
Mel Fisher, the former Missouri State Highway Patrol superintendent heading the investigation, filed the suit in response to months of stonewalling by the Blunt administration, which has refused to cooperate with the investigation or produce requested records. The suit asks the court to take custody of the records so that it may review them.
The e-mail controversy began in September when reporters began looking into potentially improper political activities by Blunt’s then-Chief of Staff Ed Martin. Scott Eckersley, an attorney in Blunt’s office, later was fired for advising the governor that Martin and others were breaking state open record and record retention laws. The administration then orchestrated a failed smear campaign to discredit Eckersley, which prompted him to file a pending defamation and wrongful termination suit against the governor. Attorney General Jay Nixon appointed the independent team of investigators in November to look into allegations of criminal activity related to the e-mail controversy by administration officials.
Mel Fisher, the former Missouri State Highway Patrol superintendent heading the investigation, filed the suit in response to months of stonewalling by the Blunt administration, which has refused to cooperate with the investigation or produce requested records. The suit asks the court to take custody of the records so that it may review them.
The e-mail controversy began in September when reporters began looking into potentially improper political activities by Blunt’s then-Chief of Staff Ed Martin. Scott Eckersley, an attorney in Blunt’s office, later was fired for advising the governor that Martin and others were breaking state open record and record retention laws. The administration then orchestrated a failed smear campaign to discredit Eckersley, which prompted him to file a pending defamation and wrongful termination suit against the governor. Attorney General Jay Nixon appointed the independent team of investigators in November to look into allegations of criminal activity related to the e-mail controversy by administration officials.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BLUNT CLAIMS ‘ABSOLUTE PRIVELEGE’ FROM LAWSUIT
Gov. Matt Blunt is asserting his office provides him an “absolute privilege” against liability in a pending defamation and wrongful termination lawsuit filed against him by a former employee, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on April 15. In court documents related to the case, Blunt claims the privilege applies even if he made “intentionally false statements” about the employee.
Scott Eckersley, the governor’s former deputy counsel, is suing the governor and several top current or former administrator officials over Eckersley’s dismissal last fall. Eckersley says he was fired for pointing out the administration’s repeated violations of state open records and retention laws. Following the firing, key administration officials launched a smear campaign to discredit Eckersley. The Blunt administration’s claims about Eckersley quickly were debunked in news reports.
Scott Eckersley, the governor’s former deputy counsel, is suing the governor and several top current or former administrator officials over Eckersley’s dismissal last fall. Eckersley says he was fired for pointing out the administration’s repeated violations of state open records and retention laws. Following the firing, key administration officials launched a smear campaign to discredit Eckersley. The Blunt administration’s claims about Eckersley quickly were debunked in news reports.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
BLUNT WANTS INVESTIGATORS TO PAY FOR RECORDS
Gov. Matt Blunt is demanding that the special investigative team that is looking into possible wrongdoing by his administration pay $540,000 for records they have requested. Attorney General Jay Nixon appointed the independent team to determine if administration officials broke any laws related to the firing of Blunt’s former deputy counsel.
The investigative team was supposed to finish its inquiry in January, but its deadline was extended until April due to the lack of cooperation by Blunt’s office. Citing continued resistance from the administration, investigators on March 11 asked for and received a second extension. The investigation is now scheduled to be completed by June 6.
The investigative team was supposed to finish its inquiry in January, but its deadline was extended until April due to the lack of cooperation by Blunt’s office. Citing continued resistance from the administration, investigators on March 11 asked for and received a second extension. The investigation is now scheduled to be completed by June 6.
Monday, January 21, 2008
GOVERNOR SPENDING $2 MILLION ON E-MAIL ARCHIVE
Amid the continuing scandal over his administration’s deletion of potentially embarrassing e-mails, Gov. Matt Blunt is unilaterally moving ahead with a $2 million plan to permanently archive all e-mails sent or received by most executive branch agencies, The Associated Press reported on Jan. 16.
Blunt has faced criticism over the e-mail issue since the summer. Scott Eckersley, Blunt’s former deputy counsel, claims he was fired for advising the administration that its e-mail deletion practices violated state law. In a wrongful termination and defamation suit recently filed against the governor and four current or former members of his staff, Eckersley said the governor’s office ordered high-ranking administration officials to routinely destroyed sensitive e-mails after The Kansas Star used the state’s Sunshine Law to obtain e-mails that exposed the administration’s efforts to pressure the State Highway Patrol to criticize Attorney General Jay Nixon for not pursuing criminal charges relating to the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse. The patrol’s own investigation had already concluded no charges were warranted.
Rather than seeking money from the General Assembly through the normal budget process, Blunt is using reserve funds to establish the e-mail archive. An estimated $500,000 a year will be needed to maintain the archive, funding that will require legislative approval starting with next year’s budget process.
According to the AP, the state computer system administered by the Office of Administration handles approximately 1.5 million e-mails daily. The OA system includes the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s office and most state agencies. The transportation, conservation and natural resources departments maintain separate e-mail systems, as do the Highway Patrol, the judiciary, the legislature and other statewide elected officials. Those systems aren’t subject to the governor’s archiving plan.
Blunt has faced criticism over the e-mail issue since the summer. Scott Eckersley, Blunt’s former deputy counsel, claims he was fired for advising the administration that its e-mail deletion practices violated state law. In a wrongful termination and defamation suit recently filed against the governor and four current or former members of his staff, Eckersley said the governor’s office ordered high-ranking administration officials to routinely destroyed sensitive e-mails after The Kansas Star used the state’s Sunshine Law to obtain e-mails that exposed the administration’s efforts to pressure the State Highway Patrol to criticize Attorney General Jay Nixon for not pursuing criminal charges relating to the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse. The patrol’s own investigation had already concluded no charges were warranted.
Rather than seeking money from the General Assembly through the normal budget process, Blunt is using reserve funds to establish the e-mail archive. An estimated $500,000 a year will be needed to maintain the archive, funding that will require legislative approval starting with next year’s budget process.
According to the AP, the state computer system administered by the Office of Administration handles approximately 1.5 million e-mails daily. The OA system includes the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s office and most state agencies. The transportation, conservation and natural resources departments maintain separate e-mail systems, as do the Highway Patrol, the judiciary, the legislature and other statewide elected officials. Those systems aren’t subject to the governor’s archiving plan.
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