State’s e-mail case against Gov. Blunt could be ended today
Attorneys for Gov. Matt Blunt and the attorney general’s office will be in court today to argue the ongoing litigation over the governor’s e-mails, but indications are clear that a settlement is in the offing.
The two sides have been battling in recent weeks over whether Blunt will sit for a deposition. And Cole County Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan, who appointed Louis Leonatti and Joe Maxwell as assistant attorneys general in the case, had set a hearing for today to hear a variety of motions, including one seeking dismissal of the case.
The case was brought, first by St. Louis attorney Chet Pleban, and then by Leonatti and Maxwell, because they alleged the Blunt administration was refusing to release records to the investigators appointed by Attorney General Jay Nixon to determine whether the governor’s office had violated Sunshine Law and records retention laws.
Maxwell told the Post-Dispatch this morning that the attorneys for both sides will “read a statement” at the 2:30 hearing. Asked if a settlement had been reached, Maxwell declined to say.
Both Maxwell and Blunt attorney John Holstein have said recently that the two sides were trying to reach a settlement to avoid a trial, which had been scheduled for Jan. 5.
The case is separate from the civil lawsuit brought by former Blunt deputy counsel Scott Eckersley, who is suing for defamation, wrongful termination and violation of Sunshine Law. His case, in Jackson County, is continuing.
Somehow Tony I still think you’ll continue to attack Blunt everyday on this blog even if it’s over irrelevant things like this.
Where is your outrage over the fact that Nixon is not preserving his transition teams e-mails?? Might be some important news in them.
You tried your best to take Blunt down to advance your own career but I’ve got news for you-he will be back!!
> You tried your best to take Blunt down to advance your own career
Allen, this is obviously false. Let’s look at it objectively: Mr. Messenger works for the Post-Dispatch, Missouri’s largest and most respected newspaper. How could it get any better than that?
So glad that taxpayer dollars were wasted on this and an outgoing governor. Yet not a single moment was wasted investigating our new president-elect and his sleazy Illinois background. Get your priorities straight.
3 1/2 hours since the Governor’s press release and not a single blog entry on the dismissal of the lawsuit? Tony, you’re pretty quick to post anything negative about the governor, why not be just as quick with a post exonorating him? Maybe you’re still busy cleaning up the egg on your face from your failed witch hunt.
This is outrageous. To settle without getting to the bottom of this scandal will bring about NO precedent to change the lack of standard in the system, and worst of all, NO retribution for those in leadership. Callahan has fouled this entire truth hunt up with Maxwell/Leonatti and his refusal to bring Blunt to deposition! How, in anyone’s skewed vision does it make sense to cut and run on this important case—unless some pretty heavy dirt is involved?! Why not bring it all out in a freaking trial!? Any reasonable thinking person who hasn’t been bribed, blinded or blackmailed thus far HAS to know the importance of this issue and will not sit down and let a unsupported settlement free Blunt and his dirty gang of followers from their obvious and most likely criminal wrongdoing!! This is SO far from over and if it settles today, Eckersley’s list just got a little bit longer. Eckersley may be the only guy with enough muscle and integrity to actually see this through if the state can’t stick up for themselves long enough to bring a little justice to these crooked, manipulative leaders–and I’m not just talking about the governor! Thanks for your honest, dilegent reporting–keep us posted Tony!
Dear God: Maybe, perhaps we have heard the last of the B.S. about the stupid E-Mails. Amen.