Miss. Governor's office wants over $14K to process e-mails for public records request

Governor's office wants over $14K to process e-mails for public records request

(Published April 14, 2008)

JACKSON, Miss. — Gov. Haley Barbour's office wants $14,170 to provide The Clarion-Ledger newspaper's public records request for four days of e-mails from the governor's staff.

The newspaper said in a story in Monday's edition that it was exploring its options.

The governor's office estimate included $7,500 for outside attorneys to review the e-mails for privacy and privilege issues. Other costs include staff time.

Barbour spokesman Pete Smith said Monday that the number of e-mails involved in the request would be about 8,000.

In a March 27 letter to the newspaper, the governor's office said it archives all its e-mails but has no ability to retrieve them without assistance from technology experts.

Leonard Van Slyke, an expert on Mississippi public records law and an attorney for The Clarion-Ledger, said state law allows the governor to recover the actual cost of retrieving requested records. However, he said he does not believe it covers the hiring of non-governmental employees to do it.

In Mississippi, the governor's e-mails are public record, although some material can be excluded for specific reasons, such as discussion of personnel issues or the trade secrets of government contractors.

The Clarion-Ledger was participating in an exercise sponsored by the Wisconsin-based Lucy Burns Institute, which promotes open government, when it made the records request. The paper asked for e-mails from midnight Feb. 15 through Feb. 19.

Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarion-ledger.com

 
 

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