Blunt may be gone but e-mail saga continues

Independent investigators hired to look into former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's e-mail policies realized that they received about 60,000 extra pages of e-mails than media outlets did. Several newspapers had intervened in the lawsuit against Blunt to obtain access to the records. However, the records provided to the media and to the private investigators should have been identical.

The investigation into former Gov. Matt Blunt and whether his office violated open records laws has been rekindled after Attorney General Chris Koster told independent investigators the state would cover their expenses if they are sued.

Those investigators are now alleging that Blunt’s office didn’t turn over the complete record of e-mails to the media outlets that had intervened in the lawsuit.

The more than year-long political and legal struggle over allegations that Blunt’s staff failed to preserve public documents appeared headed to resolution earlier this week when lead investigator Mel Fisher – a former state patrolman – wrote his court-appointed attorney and told him that he would not publish a final report of his findings because the governor’s former chief of staff, Ed Martin, had threatened him with legal action.

More here.