The Legal Intellegencer through Leo Strupczewski is reporting that Allegheny County's Top Prosecutor Stepehn Zappala evidently didn't do his homework before charging Senator Jane Orie with Bonusgate-like actions.
A day after Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. charged a state senator and her sister with using legislative resources to aid several campaign efforts, his office'sright-to-know officer admitted in a behind-the-scenes legal battle that four employees found records on their computers that may suggest similar activity.
Those records have not yet been turned over to the individual who made the request — Jerry S. McDevitt of K&L Gates in Pittsburgh — but the legal wrangling between him and Zappala's office indicates there's yet another twist to the prosecution of state Sen. Jane Clare Orie, R-Allegheny.
There is much legal rangling going on over the existence of the records. This Hatfield and McCoy dispute will not see a resolution any time soon.
Showing posts with label open records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label open records. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Friday, April 10, 2009
Rendell Questioned On Open Records Requests By Own Appointee
The executive director of Pennsylvania's Office of Public Records, Terry Mutchler, has written to Governor Rendell about requests for access to records of his administration accordingto Angela Coulombis of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Pa.'s public-records czar faults Rendell on openness
In the three-page letter, obtained by The Inquirer, Mutchler revealed a list of her concerns over how the administration has dealt with her and her staff - as well as individual records requests - since she was tapped to lead the open-records office in June.
According to her letter, the situation has gotten so bad that lawyers in Rendell's office have put representatives of every state agency on notice not to even take her calls. Everything has to be in writing, the lawyers insist.
"At a maximum, these examples demonstrate an anti-open-government spirit," Mutchler, a reporter turned lawyer, lamented in her letter to Rendell, written late last month.
She continued: "Some agencies . . . are using the Right-to-Know law as a shield with which to block information rather than a tool with which to open records of government."
Rendell spokespersons deny the allegation and state the differences are only "procedural and not substantive," Mutchler responded by stating let the letter speak for itself. It is amazing that Tom Corbett is breathing down Harrisburg's back and they still won't pay attention.
Pa.'s public-records czar faults Rendell on openness
In the three-page letter, obtained by The Inquirer, Mutchler revealed a list of her concerns over how the administration has dealt with her and her staff - as well as individual records requests - since she was tapped to lead the open-records office in June.
According to her letter, the situation has gotten so bad that lawyers in Rendell's office have put representatives of every state agency on notice not to even take her calls. Everything has to be in writing, the lawyers insist.
"At a maximum, these examples demonstrate an anti-open-government spirit," Mutchler, a reporter turned lawyer, lamented in her letter to Rendell, written late last month.
She continued: "Some agencies . . . are using the Right-to-Know law as a shield with which to block information rather than a tool with which to open records of government."
Rendell spokespersons deny the allegation and state the differences are only "procedural and not substantive," Mutchler responded by stating let the letter speak for itself. It is amazing that Tom Corbett is breathing down Harrisburg's back and they still won't pay attention.
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