The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette's Niki Kelly obtained records from the state auditor's office showing that Indiana taxpayers have been billed $160,000 to date to defend a lawsuit brought against the General Assembly in the 8-month period since a public interest group sued to force the public disclosure of lawmaker communications.
The legislature hired Geoffrey Slaughter of the law firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister to defend that lawsuit. Slaughter is one of three men nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission to succeed retiring Justice Brent Dickson to the Indiana Supreme Court. Slaughter is billing taxpayers $440 per hour for his time and $345 for an attorney assisting him.
The lawsuit stems from an attempt by the Citizens Action Coalition and other public interest groups to obtain communications State Rep. Eric Koch and various utilities about legislation pertaining to solar power. The General Assembly claims it is exempt from the state's Access to Public Records Act, but an opinion of the state's Public Access Counselor disagreed with that position. A Marion County judge dismissed the lawsuit on a separation of powers argument, but the plaintiffs are appealing that decision to the Indiana Supreme Court. Attorneys for the plaintiffs note that lawmakers were never exempt from the law, and that Gov. Frank O'Bannon once vetoed legislation that would have expressly exempted them from the law.
House Speaker Brian Bosma tells Kelly he's not concerned by the costs of the litigation. "No one likes to spend money but confidentiality of Hoosiers’ communications with their elected officials is paramount," he said.
7 comments:
So the GA's attorneys worked 40 hours per week for 10 whole weeks on this one case. Count me as being a tad bit skeptical.
Brought to you by the Republican Party, known as the party of fiscal responsibility.
Indiana takes the "IN" out integrity.
...if that's the case, Mr. Speaker, then why do you make certain constituent communications public - like your "Broom Guy" letter to the Postmaster? So much for confidentiality.
There is no taxpayer money politicians won't spend to keep info from the public. Bismarck is the king of secrecy.
Why should any communications between Legislators regarding the public's business be confidential? What do they have to hide from the people they are elected to serve?
Slaughter's involvement in this case in and of itself should disqualify him from serving on the Supreme Court. How can he justify not only taking public funds to prevent the public from knowing what its Legislators are up to, when the State has an Attorney General whose services are already paid for, but at such a high rate compared to the earnings of the average Hoosier? Oh, I forgot, the practice of law is now a business, no longer a profession.
Brian Bosma- you, sir, are a horse's hind end.
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