Earle sues to block Chronicle information request
The Chronicle posts an AP story about... the Chronicle:
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is suing to keep secret the details about his investigation of indicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay.
The Houston Chronicle filed a request under Texas' open records law in March seeking vouchers, hotel and airfare receipts, budget documents, memos and e-mails describing the expenses for the DeLay inquiry and related investigations.
[snip]
Earle, in his attempt to keep details of his investigation out of public view, appealed to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, arguing that releasing the information could compromise the prosecution.
The state's lawyer, who reviewed examples of the information, generally ruled that Earle didn't have to disclose secret information related to grand jury investigations. But the attorney general noted that the public records law requires disclosure of "information in an account, voucher, or contract" relating to the expenditure of public monies, the Austin American-Statesman reported Tuesday.
Earle sued last week to overturn the legal opinion.
So, will the Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists come out in favor of or against Earle's position? Or will they write about something much more important, like Andrea Georgsson's leftovers or favorite cabaret singers?
Stay tuned.
UPDATE (07-12-2006): Chronicle metro/state editorialist/gossip columnist Rick Casey opines on the matter today. The Chronicle does not supplement his opinion column with a lengthy straight news column of their own (just this blurb), however, which still seems bizarre. Casey offers this explanation:
[Chronicle D.C. bureau reporter Michael] Hedges was notified of the lawsuit last week, but editors decided not to publicize it for competitive reasons.
They hoped eventually to break the story of how much Earle was spending to get DeLay.
But Laylan Copeland, a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman who has covered the DeLay investigation, learned of the lawsuit and reported on it Tuesday. He quoted Earle as saying the opinion would make it harder for his office to protect the public.
Fine, but why didn't the story merit (non-trivial) straight news coverage today?
Laylin Copelin's story for the Austin American-Statesman is here.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 11:29 PM | Print |
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