Pleban

In what could be a very interesting next chapter in the ongoing e-mail/public records saga involving Gov. Matt Blunt, there is a court hearing at 1:30 in Cole County today to approve the settlement between Blunt and the court appointed attorneys who sued the governor for Sunshine Law violations.

Two days before Christmas, those attorneys, Louis Leonatti and Joseph Maxwell, reached a settlement with Blunt that involved the governor turning over the documents sought by investigators in exchange for no admissions of wrongdoing by Blunt or his staff.

But Chet Pleban, the attorney who represented the investigators originally appointed by Attorney General Jay Nixon, called the settlement a sham, and now he’s suggesting the court hearing today is nothing but staged political theater.

In a letter dated Friday, Pleban tells Cole County Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan that he objects to the settlement. The letter does not say if Pleban will be in court today to object. In his letter to Callahan, Pleban says there are 15 significant legal issues that the court chose to ignore in the settlement, leaving matters of law undecided “for another day, another time, and another judge. This is not acceptable to the Investigative Team and should not be tolerated by the public who will be victimized by this decision.”

Pleban goes on:

“Not only are the reasons unclear but the totality of the circumstances surrounding this settlement are equally suspect. After amending the lawsuit a month before the trial to include an allegation of knowing and purposeful misconduct with a request for economic sanctions, the Court appointed counsel are now content to settle for no admissions, no judicial findings and have abandoned their pursuit of sanctions. … The settlement hearing, lacking in legal significance, promises to be great political theater. If the public wants to be entertained, they can see a movie.”

In response to Pleban’s statements to the Post-Dispatch and other reporters (but before he wrote his letter to Callahan), Blunt spokeswoman Jessica Robinson issued a statement:

“Jay Nixon appointee Chet Pleban has already been fired from the case once, so we would not expect his opinion to carry much weight. The settlement reached with Mr. Leonatti and Mr. Maxwell acknowledges that absolutely no wrongdoing occured and brings this matter to a close, which is in Missourians’ best interest. Chet Pleban wishes these false accusations were true, but unfortunately his chaotic antics have cost Missouri taxpayers more than $150,000.”

Actually, Pleban wasn’t fired from the case, his suit was dismissed. He continues to represent Fisher and Wilhoit. Also, while the settlement didn’t include any admissions of wrongdoing by the Blunt administration, it also includes no acknowledgment that “no wrongdoing occured.”

Stay tuned for some fun political theater this afternoon. Grab your popcorn!