Posted on Jun 1, 2022
Missouri AG seeks to dismiss suit alleging the office under Josh Hawley broke open records law
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Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office argues that even though private emails pertained to public business, they were not public records.
A Cole County judge on Thursday heard arguments over whether staff in the Missouri attorney general’s office, while it was being run by now-U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, used private email accounts in order to subvert the state’s open records laws.
A lawsuit filed in 2019 by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee alleges Hawley’s office violated the Sunshine Law when it withheld emails between Hawley’s taxpayer-funded staff and his political consultants during the 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate.
The suit asks the court to impose civil penalties against the attorney general’s office for “knowingly and purposely” violating the Sunshine Law.
The Missouri attorney general’s office argued to Cole County Judge Jon Beetem that despite the fact that the emails pertained to public business, they should not be considered public records.
A Cole County judge on Thursday heard arguments over whether staff in the Missouri attorney general’s office, while it was being run by now-U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, used private email accounts in order to subvert the state’s open records laws.
A lawsuit filed in 2019 by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee alleges Hawley’s office violated the Sunshine Law when it withheld emails between Hawley’s taxpayer-funded staff and his political consultants during the 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate.
The suit asks the court to impose civil penalties against the attorney general’s office for “knowingly and purposely” violating the Sunshine Law.
The Missouri attorney general’s office argued to Cole County Judge Jon Beetem that despite the fact that the emails pertained to public business, they should not be considered public records.
Missouri AG seeks to dismiss suit alleging the office under Josh Hawley broke open records law
Posted from kcur.org
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United States Senate
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Hartman, who eventually became Hawley’s chief of staff and now serves as state director for his Senate office, was among those included in those private emails discussions during the period covered by the DSCC’s September 2017 request. As attorney general, Hawley was responsible for enforcing the Sunshine Law in Missouri, and championed a push in the state legislature to strengthen it. The DSCC alleges that “Hartman knew, or should have known, that responsive records existed, some of which were stored in Hartman’s and other employees’ personal email accounts.” In February, a month after Schmitt took over for Hawley, the attorney general’s office amended its email policy to prohibit any use of private email accounts to conduct public business."
..."Hartman, who eventually became Hawley’s chief of staff and now serves as state director for his Senate office, was among those included in those private emails discussions during the period covered by the DSCC’s September 2017 request. As attorney general, Hawley was responsible for enforcing the Sunshine Law in Missouri, and championed a push in the state legislature to strengthen it. The DSCC alleges that “Hartman knew, or should have known, that responsive records existed, some of which were stored in Hartman’s and other employees’ personal email accounts.” In February, a month after Schmitt took over for Hawley, the attorney general’s office amended its email policy to prohibit any use of private email accounts to conduct public business."
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