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Mo. Governor Sued By Fired Ex-Staffer
by Michael Martinez
A former aide to Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt this week filed a lawsuit accusing the Republican of wrongfully firing the aide to punish him for statements he made about the administration's e-mail-retention policies.
Ex-Blunt staff attorney Scott Eckersley accused Blunt in a Jackson County Circuit Court on Wednesday of conspiring to cover up the discovery that the administration routinely destroys its e-mails. Eckersley was fired last fall.
State Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Democrat challenging Blunt in his bid for re-election this fall, already has launched a special investigation into whether Blunt's office violated open-records laws by purging its internal e-mail records. Nixon has tasked former Missouri Highway Patrol Superintendent C.E. (Mel) Fisher with leading a special panel to examine the matter.
Blunt's legal counsel, Lowell Pearson, said in a statement to AP that Eckersley's accusations are baseless. Blunt's office has maintained that Eckersley was fired because of his performance and also has alleged that he misused office resources to conduct personal business.
The lawsuit contends that top aides on Blunt's staff instructed employees to make sure they destroyed e-mails, as well as any backup files that may have stored the messages. Eckersley alleged that the administration tried to smear him by releasing hundreds of e-mails from his office account to the media on the day he was fired and by suggesting to reporters that he used illicit drugs and was interested in lewd sexual activities.
Eckersley told The Kansas City Star that the lawsuit is not a political stunt and that it is about clearing his name "personally and professionally."
The complaint names several current and former members of Blunt's staff as defendants, including chief legal adviser Rich AuBuchon, Communications Director Rich Chrismer and former Chief of Staff Ed Martin.
Blunt was not the only governor last year whose e-mails sparked controversy. The New Jersey Republican Party sued Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine to obtain access to personal e-mails he exchanged with an influential union leader who also used to be his girlfriend. Corzine insisted that those e-mails were personal and had nothing to do with government business. The matter is pending before a state court.
Bill For Digital Tax Credit Jumpstarted In N.J.
A revamped measure to offer digital media firms tax incentives in New Jersey cleared another major hurdle this week.
The bill, A. 4250, once again is headed to Corzine. He conditionally vetoed a different version of the measure last year because he said it was too costly. The state General Assembly passed the new proposal on a 70-9 vote. Corzine's office did not return a call seeking comment on whether he plans to sign the bill.
The amended proposal reduced the overall amount of annual tax credits that would be available to digital media firms to $10 million, down from $30 million in the original bill. It also was restructured to include job-creation requirements on companies that wish to qualify for the tax-credit program.
Democratic Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement that the proposal will effectively bring "cutting-edge jobs" and technologies to New Jersey.
"New Jersey must bolster its position as a leader in high-tech industries and provide a greater incentive for business to invest in our state," he said.
Touch-Screen Systems Face More Scrutiny
Election officials in several states this week continued to deal with controversies about the e-voting systems they are preparing to use this year.
In Ohio, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Tuesday demanded that it be refunded for some of the $21 million it spent on touch-screen machines that performed poorly in recent contests. The county, which includes Cleveland, is one of the most heavily populated areas in the state.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, last month suggested that Ohio counties dump touch-screen systems in favor of paper-based, optical-scan platforms. She made the announcement upon the release of a $1.9 million study that identified critical security failures in touch-screen machines.
The Plain-Dealer reported that Cuyahoga board members this week said they are planning to begin discussions with Premier Election Solutions about how they can recoup some of the money they paid for their machines. Premier is the company formerly known as Diebold Election Systems.
Board Chairman Jeff Hastings said the county feels entitled to a refund because it spent taxpayer money on machines that did not perform as advertised. A company spokesman said Premier has fulfilled the obligations of its contract.
In Colorado, meanwhile, election officials in Denver said this week that Secretary of State Mike Coffman incorrectly decertified the machines used there.
The Denver Post reported that City Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley said Tuesday that Coffman told city officials that he was open to re-certifying the machines used in Denver and Arapahoe Counties. Coffman made nationwide headlines last month when he declared that the machines used in 53 of his state's counties are no longer fit for use.
O'Malley said Coffman contacted her early this month to inform her that he made an error that led to the decertification of the city's machines. But Coffman told the Post that Denver would have to file a formal appeal if he were to reconsider allowing the devices, which are manufactured by Sequoia Voting Systems.
N.Y. Prosecutor Settles Dispute With Web Firm
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo last week announced that the dial-up Internet service provider PeoplePC has agreed to give refunds to thousands of subscribers in his state who were billed excessively by the company.
PeoplePC, an EarthLink subsidiary, also agreed to modify how it markets its dial-up Internet service packages. Several consumers accused the company, which advertises initial service charges as low as $5.47 per month, of wrongly billing them for more than $500 in undisclosed long-distance charges.
The company has agreed to pay New York $20,000 in penalties and provide refunds to consumers who inadvertently incurred long-distance charges that significantly increased their monthly bills.
Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement that the settlement will provide relief to the consumers who were misled by the company's marketing practices.
"Consumers should not be misled into making purchases they would otherwise steer clear of," he said. "This settlement sends a message to companies large and small -- delivering a product is simply not enough. The promises must be delivered as well."
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